Misty Mountains O'er Me
by iWandering-Shapeshifter
Summary: "Your life is of more worth than mine, anyway... the life of a rogue elleth is meaningless in the world of my kin. Lesser so when she has defied an Elvenking and run away from her home..." / "You are not meaningless! ... You are nothing if not important to the Company, and to ME, Eäriel." (movie-verse, eventual Thorin/OC, R&R please! (REWRITTEN))
1. Prologue - Enter Solitude

_hey guys! sorry for not updating lately, i might do that... sometime by the end of this week mebe? not sure lol my week's schedule is rather sketchy from here til Friday. anyway! before you get uberly psyched, i'm **rewriting** Misty Mountains only bc of an epiphany that struck this morning.. no flames please! also things will be a little more tightly-knit with Eäriel and the Dwarves and there'll be some eentsy-teensy angst between our favorite She-Elf and a certain Mirkwood Prince later on. _  
><em>so! on to the story! make sure your arms and legs are kept inside the ship at all times and do enjoy~<em>

_disclaimer: **Tolkien has all posthumous rights to the Hobbit franchise. Eäriel belongs to me. **_

* * *

><p>"You're mad to even think of such a thing!" He declared in a harsh whisper as he followed her to the stone steps leading to the dais, his eyes piercing.<p>

Ignoring his words, she instead trotted up the steps to stop short of the two guards that stood between the foot of the small stairwell and the throne chair where their dear king sat. "My Lord Thranduil, the Dwarves of Erebor are marching on Moria as we speak!" She had been all-but visibly fuming the day the despicable firedrake had overtaken the Lonely Mountain, not because he had destroyed the once-great kingdom, but because their king had simply watched on and then turned his back on the Sons of Durin.

The Elven King merely quirked a brow at her incensed expression, his long face showing mild interest. "That is not my concern; the Dwarves may do as they please, it does not matter if they live or die for their foolishness."

Her hands unconsciously balled into fists at her sides as her eyes hardened in anger. "My Lord, we must help them! We didn't help them the day Smaug overtook the Lonely Mountain, we should be honorable and give aid to our allies…" She started to say.

"**That** **day** was one that was coming and you know it. Their greed finally cost them the most precious thing they held dear, and now they suffer as punishment." He stated frostily, inwardly bristling at the reminder she brought forth.

If she wanted to risk her neck aiding those greedy creatures, then so be it! She was one of his subjects but she clearly had a death wish if she wished to help the Dwarves of Erebor.

The She-Elf's fists shook slightly at her sides and her piercing eyes flashed before she tilted her head down in understanding: he would not help their allies, and if he wouldn't do it, then… "Yes, My Lord." She clipped softly, closing her eyes solemnly before turning to descend the stairwell, brushing past her companion.

The Prince looked at her retreating form, recognizing that her thin frame was softly shaking; not in sadness, but in seething rage. His own piercing eyes tightened at the sign, watching her descend lower into the echelon where the armory was.  
><em><br>She wouldn't_.

The She-Elf gave a curt nod to the two Elves guarding the front entrance into the kingdom as she passed to enter the forest; her bow and a fresh quiver full with arrows was strapped to her back, her twin long knives hanging at her left hip and twin daggers tucked into the chestnut-colored gauntlets strapped to her wrists. Her blue eyes stared beyond the reaches of the wood to the lands that lay beyond their borders.

"You would really go through with it, wouldn't you?" She paused when hearing her friend's voice, and she turned slightly to see he had followed her to the entrance, his own blue eyes fixed on her slightly-surprised face.

Her gaze sombered and she spared a look at the forest beyond her reach, looking back at him. "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least honor the truce we've made with them." She answered softly.

"I would ask you to stay, to remain and help protect our kingdom… But I know you would refuse, as you would betray your conscience if you listened to my request." He fought the wave of bitterness that attempted to wash over him at her departure; he didn't know if she was mad or brave, really.

Even so, some small part of him admired her for it.

The brunette She-Elf turned fully to meet his blue eyes with sombered and strangely warm eyes the same color as his. "Thank you, _Mellonin_." She embraced him tightly, slightly surprised when his own long arms tightened on her back, before she gently pried away with a fond smile extended to his sombered face; she turned to take off into the forest at a sprint, her shoulder-length mane of brown hair flying behind her wake as her light black boots carried her far and away from the Gates of the Woodland Realm.

* * *

><p>Two gruesome-faced Orcs charged straight for the prince, weapons raised and brandished menacingly.<p>

"Thorin!" He heard one of the other Dwarves in his company, Dwalin it sounded like, declare when seeing the Orcs nearing to slay the prince.

A lone arrow streaked through the air to pierce through the right temple of both Orcs, halting their movements as they fell to the blood-stained ground.

The Dwarf Prince looked over his shoulder in alarm at the now-dead Orcs, his dark blue eyes squinting as he recognized the arrow to not be of Dwarvish making.

_Elves?_

He jerked his stare beyond the multitude of Orcs and Dwarves mixed and battling as a streak of green took out another trio of Orcs that had thrown themselves at the lone Elf, blood flying from the now-felled beasts. The prince caught the descending blade of another Orc just in time, yanking himself out of his observations to cut down the fell beast with a snarl.

The She-Elf paved her way through the Orc multitude, cutting down the ones that charged her with a well-placed arrow, perking up slightly when seeing something large and white advancing on the prince. She sliced through another Orc with one of her long knives that had gotten in her way, looking at the white creature as it took the form of a tall and muscled Gundabad Orc, one she recognized as Azog the Defiler. She made to rush forward to draw the Orc's attention away to her but was stopped when four more Orcs launched themselves at her from the front.

Teeth bared, she drew her second long knife and met their challenge. Her curved Elvish blades ripped the head off the first foolish beast clean from his shoulders, stabbing the heart out of the second one and ripping the throats open of the last two. The quartet of now-dead Orcs dropped around her; she panted, her body softly shaking with adrenaline, before an anguished roar of pain came from where she'd last sighted the Gundabad Orc.

The She-Elf's blue eyes sharpened in surprise and awe as the Dwarf Prince had sliced the left hand off the Pale Orc, black blood staining his heavier sword that was held fast in his grip, and a smug look crossing his rugged features.

A wry smirk pulled at the corners of her lips and she wiped a smidge of black blood from her right cheek. "_The Line of Durin is strong indeed_." She whispered in Sindarin.

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><p><em>* soo how do you like it? more detailed? feel free to <span><strong>review<strong> and tell me or ask me anything about this, i don't bite! ^^_

_* little bit of bg info, **Eäriel** is for all intents and purposes roughly **4-5000(+) years old**, as anything below that is considered a teen if i'm not mistaken. to say she would've taken part in the Battle of Azanulbizar wouldn't be such a big stretch as i'm aware it was mainly the Dwarves who drove out the Orcs from Moria's halls. **if i'm wrong about just who fought who please feel free to correct me! nothing too harsh in regards of criticism please. thanks~**_


	2. Ode to My Family

The rather-raucous sounds of men laughing and talking away at a table close to the fire seemed to bounce off the walls of the inn's common room.

Crossing her arms, the hooded female sat back in her chair after taking a sip of the mead pint she'd ordered, staring past the group of men to the fire burning vainly in the hearth.

While she was not deaf or blind to the movement of people inside the Prancing Pony's pub, she chose not to recognize she was being given over-the-shoulder looks every other five minutes by some of the quieter patrons.

They could stare all they want; what they did was nothing of her concern, unless it somehow or another physically involved her.

She took a generous sip from the drink placed before her, right ear twitching when a shuffling of feet was heard before a man sat himself at her small table near the back corner of the room. Her eyes beheld the gray-bearded man donned in likewise-gray robes, and her gaze met his wise blue stare; a fond smirk tugged at her lips. "You're late." She teased softly.

The older man also smiled wryly at her words, "I trust you arrived in Bree without much trouble." He knew she kept off the roads when traveling, namely because noone knew just what kind of people one were to run into when on the trafficked dirt roads. "You're keeping your anonymity well-kept." He added.

"Aye, although it still puzzles me why you summoned me to Bree. You know as well as I that these lands are in the charge of the Rangers of the North, so whatever task you have in mind would be much more suited for their people, Mithrandir." She spoke quietly, sipping her mead, looking at him with curiosity that shone in her hidden blue stare.

The wizard refrained from rolling his eyes; she was not to pass up such a task to one of the Rangers, that much he was assured of. "I was not looking for a Ranger to aid me, as you very well know! The task I have in mind would need the skills of someone who has seen battle and bears no visible ties to the Woodland Realm. Someone like you, my dear Wanderer." He replied in the same quieted voice, distinctly seeing her head tilt slightly when he mentioned her old home.

The woman paused for a long-lasting moment before exhaling steadily, swirling the half-empty pint of mead in her slender hands. "I'm listening." She mused.

* * *

><p>'<em>Look for the mark on the green door', he says<em>… She grumbled under her breath as she walked past the small houses up the incline that led to a house at the top of a small hill.

The Shire had only been a day's walk from Bree when she'd departed from the Prancing Pony with her steed. The black mare she had affectionately christened Dawn had galloped her way until reaching the borders of the Shire, where she was allowed a break from her rider who walked her through the tiny roads.

The sun had already gone down beyond the hills, and twilight was slowly giving way to the evening that soon followed.

Tying up her horse's reins loosely next to the three ponies that were already stationed on the outskirts of the house she had recognized had a green door and a small glowing mark on the wood –muchly thanks to her Elf eyes—she patted her mare's right flank gently as the horse began nibbling and munching on the grass, shouldering her quiver and bow on her right shoulder as she walked up the small winding path to the door.

Ringing the doorbell, she faintly heard it echo within the halls of the Hobbit home; a curious look settled over her face at hearing a distressed male voice calling to the door even as it was getting closer. "There's nobody home!" The male declared even as he opened his door to see the lanky female standing on his doorstep.

The Wanderer quirked a brow at the apparent Hobbit's head of curly brown hair that barely reached her ribs as his brown eyes took in her thin and tall form donned in otherwise green and teal and black. "Master Baggins, I presume?" She asked politely, surprising the halfling who blinked a couple of times when hearing her calm voice.

"Ah-um, yes?" The Hobbit nodded his head, uncertainty and curiosity swimming in his face. "And you are?" He dared ask, leaving the curious expression to linger on her face she hid with her cloak's hood.

"Eäriel the Wanderer, at your service." The She-Elf said lightly as she pulled her hood off so the Hobbit could see the calm yet curious expression she wore, her usually-piercing blue eyes that were the color of ice looking upon him in a friendly manner.

"A-and I at yours, my Lady!" Bilbo stammered slightly, momentarily marveling at seeing an Elf for the first time, let alone a She-Elf as lovely as the brunette that stood on his doorstep, and he sheepishly ushered her inside the foyer of his home.

Eäriel stepped inside and away from the door as he closed it, silently admiring the quaintness and warmth his small home provided. She smiled a little, turning to her host. "I must apologize for being late; I had been looking for the mark on your door since this afternoon, and I'm glad I found it!" She bowed her head slightly in apology, straightening as best she could –without knocking the top of her head into his chandelier, sparing a kind smile at the Hobbit.

"I wasn't aware there was a mark on my door…" Bilbo trailed off with a confused furrow of his brow, looking away at the conundrum that he now had four Dwarves in his house along with a She-Elf. Though from what he saw, the lattermost seemed the more polite out of the group of visitors.

"By my beard!" Both Hobbit and She-Elf looked at the doorway to his dining room to see the quartet of Dwarves had poked their heads into the doorway when hearing her voice, and the former looked between the group and the newest face in further confusion.

Eäriel grinned brightly at the sight of the quartet which consisted of Dwalin, Balin, Kili and Fili, and she couldn't help the grin on her face, "Hello, lads!" She greeted.

The two younger Dwarves exclaimed "**Eäriel**!" in unison. The dark-haired prince Kili beamed as he and the blonde-haired prince Fili left the doorway to throw themselves at her in a tight hug, making the She-Elf laugh again even as she embraced the brothers tightly when they clung to her waist.

"What in Durin's name are you doing here, lass?" Dwalin asked as the She-Elf ruffled the brothers' hair gently and pried herself out of their grasp to bow respectfully to he and Balin, the bald Dwarf smirking wryly at their old acquaintance.

"I was in the area and heard you lot causing such a ruckus, of course!" The Wanderer teased as she pulled her cloak off and shrugged her bow and quiver to place them on the floor near the doorway of a side room that had a fireplace, airing out her mane of brown hair that now reached a few inches below her waist.

"The party hasn't started yet and you're already accusing us innocents of such things, Eäri!" Fili jibed in return as Dwalin shook his head, the former smirking up at the She-Elf.

Eäriel rolled her eyes and affectionately flicked his ear, chuckling at the pout that formed on his bearded face. "You two haven't been considered 'innocents' since you were tinier. I distinctly remember visiting your mum one day only to see you two being chased by a flock of clearly-angered chickens." She said flippantly.

Kili also pouted at her reminder, "Uncle wasn't too pleased by that, besides it was Fili's idea in the first place!" He remarked as he tugged on her hand to lead her with them back into the dining room with Fili following at her side.

"I'm pretty sure he swore vehemently in Khuzdul for half an hour straight… Though you didn't have to agree with Mum when she scolded us!" Fili chimed with a knowing jab at his younger brother's side when they began piling meat onto their plates, looking at the She-Elf pointedly.

The She-Elf took a flagon of ale from the keg the princes had taken from the Hobbit's pantry, declining the plate offered from Kili. "Your mum is one strong Dwarrowdam for having to raise you two as long as she has." Of course she had their uncle to raise both princes to be… decent, to put it lightly.

"It's been a long time since you've been around the Blue Mountains, Lady Eäriel." Balin said with a thoughtful look on his wise face.

Eäriel's own face softened and she closed her eyes serenely, "Balin, you _know_ formalities are wasted on me… But yes, it's been a while. Otherwise I would've seen you lot more often." She sipped her ale slowly.

"Aye, so where've you been lurking then, Eäriel?" Dwalin chimed with his older brother, looking at the She-Elf.

At first none of the Dwarves present would've trusted her as they did now, but the sight of Eäriel the Wanderer slicing and ripping apart their enemies, the Orcs, that day on the Battle of Azanulbizar was brought to the surface again. A lone She-Elf who fought to help them with the sole intent to give her aid when she didn't the day Erebor was sacked, who'd forsaken her home in the Woodland Realm to offer her services to their prince… While some of the Dwarves that lived in Ered Luin and those in the Iron Hills didn't fully trust her due to her race and where she hailed from, the prince at first being of one mind with his kin, she had earned their trust when helping the nomads of Erebor find a home in the Blue Mountains, keeping on watch on nights when the other watchers in the group slept, and only showing respect and honesty to the Dwarves.

Eäriel had left their company forty years past and spent some time in Imladris before being summoned by Gandalf to meet in Bree, therein explaining why she now sat with the quartet of brothers in the Shire.

"Well…" She started to answer when someone knocked on the front door, looking to the doorway of the dining room just as Bilbo grumbled something about '_a block-head's idea of a joke_' as he shuffled to answer it. She cracked a small grin when recognizing the others had arrived at last, and from the sound of it, they had all fallen onto the threshold of Bilbo's foyer; if the noises and swear-words were anything to go by.

"Gandalf." Bilbo said exasperatedly when the wizard poked his head into his line of sight, having ducked to look in on the fallen-over group of eight Dwarves.

Eäriel slipped from her place between the princes to greet her old friend, watching the group of eight dust themselves off and shed their traveling cloaks, placing a hand on her hip and smirking at the wizard. "_'A wizard is never late_', huh?" She teased as Fili, Kili, Dwalin and Balin also came to welcome their kinsmen.

Gandalf snuffed even as his eyes shone with amusement at her having arrived early, removing his pointed hat. "I imagined you were eager to see your friends once more, my dear." He replied.

Shaking her head and chuckling, the She-Elf took his hat and hung it on the coat rack near her, welcoming the other Dwarves and soon everyone was situated in the dining room, eating and being merry. She had missed their company, she wouldn't deny that; it had been so long since she'd felt welcome and happy…

"What should I do with my plate?" Ori, one of the youngest members of the Company, humbly asked Bilbo who had been venting to Gandalf about the fact that his house was in a state of chaos due to the Dwarves' partying when the food was abysmally spent and safely put in the twelve Dwarves' bellies.

"Hand it over here, Ori," Fili said as he passed by the younger Dwarf, taking the dirty plate and tossing it in Kili's direction, who'd been standing in the hall near the doorway of the kitchen where one of the other Dwarves caught it, doing the same for another few pieces of dishware just as Bilbo flailed and requested they not toss his mother's century-plus-old South-Farthing Pottery so carelessly.

Eäriel shook her head from standing next to Kili in the hall and she sipped her ale with an amused smile, tapping her boot toe on the floor in sync with the rhythm the Dwarves began singing to, their harmonized voices filling the halls with a warmth the She-Elf hadn't felt in years. She couldn't help but laugh with her friends when the song ended and Bilbo dashed into the kitchen to see his dishes were cleaned of scraps and the like, surprised at the sight. Her ears perked as she heard heavy footsteps stop short of the door from outside, blue eyes widened in recognition as the owner of the heavy footfalls knocked on the door in three hard raps.

Looking up from his pipe, Gandalf noted the recognizing light on the She-Elf's face and glanced at the others present before saying, "He is here."

* * *

><p>As soon as Bilbo opened the door, he Gandalf and the twelve Dwarves plus Eäriel were greeted with the sight of a regal-looking Dwarf with thin gray streaks in his otherwise-dark brown hair and beard; his dark blue eyes looked to the wizard firstly and he nodded his head in acknowledgement and respect. "Gandalf." He said in his low-timbre voice, ambling inside the foyer and adding as he shed his traveling cloak from his shoulders. "I nearly lost my way here, twice! Would've never found the place if I didn't see the mark you left on the door." He said with some measure of mild annoyance.<p>

"What '_mark'?_ There is no mark on that door; it was painted a week ago!" Bilbo piped up rather indignantly, miffed that it was twice now that he heard about a strange invisible mark he hadn't seen, yet only the newest Dwarf and the She-Elf had seemed to notice when arriving on his doorstep.

The wizard stepped in before the Dwarf prince could think to answer in a snarky tone, introducing them. "Bilbo Baggins, I'd like to introduce you to the leader of our Company, Thorin Oakenshield." He said with a jovial tone, gesturing to the Hobbit when said Dwarf looked at him curiously.

Sizing him up, Thorin huffed under his breath, "So _this_ is the Hobbit." He walked behind him and then circled him slowly, one thick brow raised at the Hobbit. "Tell me, Master Baggins, have you done a fair amount of fighting?" At the shorter male's further confused look, he pressed on, "What's your preference, axe or sword?" He wondered.

"Well I do have some skill at Konkers, if you _must_ know…" Bilbo said in half exasperation and half prideful, earning a bemused eye-roll from the Dwarf.

"Thought as much; looks more like a grocer than burglar." Thorin mused as he stood near his nephews, earning an amused smirk from Kili. He raised both brows when recognizing the only female present, darker blue meeting ice blue; he huffed when seeing she had met his gaze with a small knowing smirk on her lips. "I didn't believe I'd be seeing _you_ again, even after forty years; it's been a long time, Eäriel." He greeted.

Refraining from rolling her eyes at earning the men's attention again, the She-Elf tilted her head down in respect to her friend. "Don't be so _eager_ to embrace me, Oakenshield." She returned with an amused twinkle in her paler eyes, catching the twitch on his bearded face as the left corner of his lips rose at her usage of his nickname.

Once Bombur prepared a bowl of stew for the prince, the group settled back into the dining room with the latest addition seated at the helm with the stew and a mug of ale near him.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin, did they all come?" Balin asked when the prince was nearing half-way through the bowl of leftover stew.

"Aye, all dignitaries from the seven families." Thorin answered calmly, earning a few relieved looks from the rest of the Dwarves.

Dwalin asked, "And what of our kin in the Iron Hills; is Dain with us?" He looked at his old friend expectantly.

Bearded face sombering a smidge, Thorin shook his head with an exhale. "They wouldn't come; they said this quest is ours." He said, not having to look at the faces of his kinsmen plus the She-Elf to know his reception was bitter.

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo's small voice asked from the doorway of the dining room, earning a glance from Thorin and Gandalf.

The latter smiled kindly at the shorter being, "Ah Bilbo, perhaps you could spare a little more light?" He asked, pulling a worn piece of parchment from inside his robes' sleeve just as the Hobbit returned shortly with a candle, unfurling the paper to show he had a map of the Lonely Mountain.

The She-Elf's keen eyes didn't miss the small drawing of a dragon in red ink scrawled just over the top of the mountain peak in the illustration; she wove her fingers together and placed her elbows on the table, her face blanked as she didn't need to hear Gandalf speak of the Lonely Mountain. She'd remembered it vividly, the horror the firedrake Smaug had wrought with his assault, as if it were yesterday.

Might as well have _been_ just yesterday, she deemed…

"W-wait, what beast?" Bilbo's voice pulled her from her thoughts and staring contest into space as he had stuck his head in the doorway again after beginning to trod away in thought, his brown eyes curious.

Bofur with the strange flappy-eared hat commented jovially with a smoking pipe on hand, "That would be reference to Smaug the Terrible! Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Air-borne fire breather… Teeth like razors, claws like meathooks… Extremely fond of precious metals!"

"Yes I know what a _dragon_ is." Bilbo winced slightly at the description of said firedrake.

"I'm not afraid!" Shy little Ori declared then as he jumped up from his seat, a determined fire in his brown eyes, "I'm up for it; I'll give him a taste of Dwarvish iron right up his jacksies!" He said, earning a few agreements from the other Dwarves even as his older brother Dori pulled him back into his seat..

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us; and we number just thirteen! …Not thirteen of the best, or the _brightest_…" Balin reminded gravely, ignoring the protests from the other Dwarves at his implication of their competence.

"We may be few in numbers, but we're fighters! _All_ of us, to the last Dwarf!" Fili stated proudly from the corner where he, Kili and Eäriel sat, looking at the others with the same determined fire in his gaze.

Kili chimed with his older brother, "And you forget that we have _a Wizard_ in our company! Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons by now!" He said, gesturing to the smoking man in gray seated on Thorin's left.

Gandalf spluttered slightly on the smoke from his pipe; Eäriel rubbed the underside of her nose gingerly with a finger, her gauntlet hiding the amused grin she sported and valiantly tried to hide from her friend. "W-well I wouldn't say that, really…" The wizard began unsurely.

"How many, then?" Dori inquired as the wizard took on a blank expression that earned a raised eyebrow from Thorin.

"Come on, give us a number!" Nori declared with a light fist stabbing into the tabletop in anticipation.

Eäriel chose that moment to step in for her friend's sake, "I'm sure Gandalf's too modest to actually give a set amount…" She said with a sheepish chuckle, feeling the wizard's grateful look be shot in her direction.

"Come on, Eäri, I'm sure _you've_ seen one or two firedrakes; you've been walking Middle-Earth longer than any of us!" Fili looked at the She-Elf curiously, earning a look from her.

"Well not necessarily… I've seen more battles than anything that intimidating…" She replied, discreetly kicking his shin under the table for calling her out.

"Ow!" Kili yelped when her boot hit his leg instead, shooting her a look.

"Sorry, Kili…" Eäriel began.

"Don't tell me a dragon like Smaug is actually intimidating to ya, lass!" Dwalin piped up from across the table.

"Aye, we've all heard stories how ya helped our kin take back Moria…" Gloin chimed, earning a round of awed murmurings and plenty interested looks at the lone female.

Her ears burned a shade of red as the She-Elf put her hands up in surrender, smiling sheepishly, "R-really now, everyone…"

Thorin stood when the cacophony of voices rose a decibel or two, snarling at them in Khuzdul, making his kinsmen clam up and look at him with alert eyes; shoulders easing their tension as he spared a look at the grateful smile from Eäriel, he addressed his kinsmen with hardened words. "If we've read these signs, do you not think others have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread; the dragon Smaug hasn't been seen for sixty years… Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing and wondering, weighing the risk… The vast wealth of our people lies unprotected, perhaps! Do we sit by and let others claim what is ours or do we seize this chance to _take back Erebor?_" His voice rose at the end of his sentence, earning another round of cheers from the Dwarves.

Balin once again reminded them gravely, "You forget that the front gate is sealed! There's no way into that mountain…" He said as Thorin slumped back into his chair, for the moment crestfallen at the reminder.

"That, my dear Balin, isn't entirely true!" Gandalf countered calmly as he withdrew a key from his sleeve, presenting it to a surprised Thorin.

"How'd you get this?" The Dwarf prince asked quietly in shock, looking at the wizard.

"It was given to me by your father Thráin; it's yours now." The Wizard answered as he gave it to him, watching him marvel for a moment at the key bestowed on him.

"If there's a key, then there must be a door…" Fili commented with clarity from his corner seat, earning a nod and smile from Kili; Eäriel nodded as well, her eyes on the key.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls," Gandalf supplied as he gestured to the runes written on the map to the left of the mountain illustration.

Eäriel smiled thoughtfully and nodded again, "Shouldn't be that hard to find, should it?" She wondered.

"On the contrary, Dwarf doors are invisible when closed! The answer lies somewhere hidden on this map, but I do not have the skills to read it; neither of us, to be frank." The wizard shot a look at the She-Elf who frowned slightly but nodded her chin a smidge, giving a soft exhale as she sipped her ale. "Yet there are others in Middle-Earth who can read it…" He ignored the sharp look earned from Thorin, looking to the others.

Eäriel swirled the ale in her mug with some interest in the silent sloshing the drink had inside the container, distinctly feeling Thorin look in her direction even though she didn't meet his gaze.

"The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage! But, if we're careful and clever, then I believe it can be done." Gandalf stated with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"That's why we need a burglar!" Ori piped up again.

Bilbo, who'd been standing next to Gandalf listening the entire time, nodded his head assuredly, "And a good one, too; an expert, I figure!" He said, still not seeming to click the pieces together.

The She-Elf ran a hand through her bangs and slid her eyes closed; _Gandalf, while your idea of hiring a Hobbit for the job is wise, I don't think it's clicked yet_… She thought.

"And _are_ you?" Oín asked, earning a thoroughly confused look from the Hobbit.

"'Am I' what?" Bilbo blinked once.

"He says he's an expert!" The older Dwarf said with a chuckle of satisfaction, not mindful of the gawking expression on the Halfling's face.

"I-I'm not a burglar, I've never stolen a thing in my life!" The Hobbit protested proudly.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins… He's hardly burglar material." Balin lamented with a sigh.

Dwalin agreed with his brother, "Aye, the Wild's no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor defend themselves." His words earned a round of agreements as the other Dwarves voiced their agreements and comments on the matter, the Hobbit in question nodding with whatever agreements he could catch from the growing cacophony.

Eäriel mentally agreed with both older Dwarves, yet her face was drawn a blank as she had interwoven her fingers together and looked into space again. She distinctly felt the air get thicker around where Gandalf sat and her eyes closed with a furrow in her brow when Gandalf stood to his feet to silence the noise with a command '**_Enough_**_!_'; his power as a Wizard forcing the darkness around his shadow to make him seem more intimidating and taller. She knew the Dwarves shrank back at the display of emotion, as she internally did with her keener Elf senses.

"…While the dragon is accustomed to the smell of Dwarf, the scent of a Hobbit is all-but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage!" Gandalf said before sitting down and looking at Thorin, "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this Company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins! There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he has a lot more to offer than any of you know… Including himself." He caught the rather grateful and somewhat confused look from Bilbo. "You must trust me on this." He looked at Thorin with stubborn blue eyes, watching the internal war wage itself inside his head.

Exhaling steadily, Thorin started to answer but for the She-Elf's presence seated between his nephews, he turned his sights on her. "I do not doubt Gandalf has already requested you join us in this quest, given you're still here, Eäriel." He said, seeing her ear twitch.

Opening her piercing blue stare, the She-Elf looked at her friend, glancing at the wizard momentarily before nodding. "You know I wouldn't stand idle while you lot rush off to go kill a dragon, especially the overgrown lizard that took your home from right under your hands… Gandalf asked me to come tonight, but my decision to accompany you to Erebor isn't out of a debt I owe or by his will. I'm going with you to honor the alliance between Elves and Dwarves once more, even if I die in the process." Also because there was something about Thorin that she couldn't seem to shake off; maybe it was because she had been there when his nephews were little, because she had helped his kindred find shelter in the Blue Mountains all those years ago…

Or simply because she held respect for the prospective King Under the Mountain.

Gauging the fierce determination that shone prominently in her blue eyes, Thorin was reminded of the day they first met on the blood-stained battlefield that lay before Moria, the black Orc blood that had stained her skin in smudges and clothes that were probably ruined. Yes even that day she wore the fierce determined mask proudly, and since then he pondered if she truly had called Mirkwood her home at one point in time… But that was a different story.

To ask her to sign a contract would be insulting, and while the small amount of distaste he still held for her Elvish lineage remained even after a few decades of not seeing her, he had treated her like an ally before the forty-year separation, and at hearing her words replay themselves in his head now he recognized she still remained his ally no matter what. So he nodded his head. "Very well. Balin, give the Hobbit a contract, for our She-Elf doesn't require one." He stated, seeing a slightly surprised expression flicker on her lovely face.

Her blue eyes softened and the Wanderer nodded, smiling fondly at the Dwarf prince even as Balin handed a long folded parchment to Bilbo and explained briefly of the standard procedure. Eäriel sat back in her chair with a sigh, downing the last bit of ale in her mug before placing it down on the tabletop.

"…Shall not be held accountable for injuries inflicted or sustained upon thereof but not limited to… lacerations… evisceration!" Looking up from the contract's inked words, he looked at the Dwarves slowly, namely Balin, _"Incineration?"_ He repeated the word slowly.

"Oh aye, he'll melt the flesh off yer bones in the blink of an eye!" Bofur supplied jovially, noting the Hobbit was softly shaking as he'd began to feel light-headed.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked concernedly as the Hobbit doubled slightly to grip his knees and breathe out slowly, his vision getting fuzzy.

"Just feel a bit faint…" Bilbo said rather nervously.

Bofur continued in the same jovial tone, "Think furnace, with wings! Flash of light, searing pain and then… _poof!_ You're nothing more than a pile of ash!" He said.

Straightening up even though his legs felt like jelly, Bilbo exhaled. "Nope!" He then fell forward unconscious.

Eäriel slapped her forehead and contemplated backhanding the hat-wearing Dwarf, "Just _lovely_, Bofur. Real subtle!" She sighed.

As Gandalf moved the Hobbit to his room in the back of the hall, the occupants of the meeting dispersed, most shuffling to seat themselves in the front room with the fireplace, others going to fetch another ale from the keg and the remainder standing and talking quietly in the hall.

The She-Elf sat back in the chair Thorin had abandoned only minutes ago, fiddling with a long lock of her brown hair, her mind a fog of thoughts.

She'd left the Woodland Realm over fifty years ago now on the personal quest to restore some semblance of honor to her people's brittle relations with the Dwarves, head held high and anger towards her king's refusal to help anyone but his own fueling her drive to spill as much Orc blood as she could while at the Battle of Azanulbizar.

And now she was off to kill a dragon. Not just any drake either, the feared Smaug that had taken the Lonely Mountain for his new treasure-filled den, the dragon that was the main cause of Thorin's ire.

Eäriel exhaled softly, releasing the lock of hair to run slender fingers through her fringe of brown. _By Eru, I truly must've signed my death warrant, haven't I?_ She thought, a soft bitter chuckle passing her lips.

"You sound as though you have a lot on your mind." His familiar low-timbre voice said near her, pulling her from her thoughts, and she recognized he had come to see her as he sat on her left, wishing to reacquaint himself with the forever-enigma that was Eäriel the Wanderer.

A wry smile crossed her lips as the She-Elf looked to her friend. "I'm just tired… Don't fret over me, you've got a lot more things to juggle; adding my well-being to the list would be bad for your mental state." She shrugged, ice blue meeting stormy blue.

Thorin snuffed softly, brow twitching into a slight furrow. "You're part of the Company, so my _'fretting_' over you would be justified by those standards." He countered calmly.

Eäriel shook her head and tore her gaze away from his for a moment, a defeated look threatening to show on her lovely face. "I told you long ago, didn't I? I don't need to be pitied; I forsook my home to help you reclaim yours… My decisions are _mine_ to make, Thorin." She whispered, closing her eyes.

She'd stuck her neck out to defend him that day they first met, so he shouldn't be turning it around on her… He was as block-headed as she often thought he was if he was going to say that he was to have her back or that he wished to protect her for chivalry's sake.

The prince pinched the bridge of his nose between stubby calloused fingers, sighing steadily. "You haven't changed _at all_, you stubborn _elleth_." He growled softly.

Her ears pricked at his usage of her native tongue, and her face softened slowly at his apparent frustration with her tenacity.

The She-Elf placed a hand over his that had slid off his rugged features, seeing surprise flicker in his darker blue stare, her own paler blue stare warmed with fondness she held for her comrade. "_I missed you too, you block-head_." She smiled at recognizing her Khuzdul hadn't gotten as rusty as she'd first believed it would be.

Thorin's lips quirked up a little at her slightly rough accent she carried, finding it still sounded strange coming from a She-Elf. He squeezed her slender hand in his grip before reluctantly letting her retrieve her hand.

Eäriel smiled humbly at his obvious approval of her speaking in the Dwarvish tongue, patting his hand a final time before straightening from his chair to slip into the warm halls of the Hobbit home.

She had denied feeling anything more for the Dwarf prince except friendship and camaraderie, but even after seeing him now when forty years had passed between them, some part of her chest ached when seeing his familiar stormy eyes and hearing his low-timbre voice…

She had to be kidding herself, that was the only possible explanation of things!

* * *

><p><em>* whoa this chap was a bit of a mouthful wasn't it? lol i'm happy to say i don't regret it, not one bit. (:<em>

_* i did mention there would be some Eäriel and Thorin hinting, did i? on second thought i might've forgotten to mention.. ah well. anywho, yes there will be trolling, as i'm rather rusty at it i apologize in advance! though while on talk of the pairing, there's a lovely song by **Loreena McKennitt** called "**The Old Ways**". it's a bit of a sad tune but it speaks of unrequited love, and it's played so beautifully! **go listen** if you're curious. and on the topic of themesongs, i recognized that "**Full** **Moon**" by **The Black Ghosts** has strangely reminded me of Legolas.. go figure right? lol feel free to listen to that as well if you're curious and don't mind my ramblings. _


	3. Last Of the Wilds

The Company set out the next day with fresh supplies the She-Elf had procured from having been staying in Bree the last few days, passing through the winding dirt roads leading further and further away from the Shire.

Eäriel had decided to ride alongside Thorin to reacquaint herself with the prince, knowing his nephews were giving her looks even as she ignored them; she didn't doubt their younger eyes could see the connection she had to their uncle, but she chose not to acknowledge whatever theories they had in mind when seeing she was so close to the prospective King Under the Mountain.

Her mare Dawn nickered as she briefly nudged his pony now and then as they continued riding.

Thorin rolled his eyes at her affectionate steed, smirking at the She-Elf. "Takes after her rider, apparently." He mused.

"Bungo." Eäriel said quietly, perking his ears.

"Sorry?" Thorin blinked once in confusion.

"Your pony needs a name; '_Bungo_'." She said simply, looking at him and an amused smirk made her lips twitch upward when seeing the confused look on his face.

He made a face at her odd name, looking forward with a huff. "It sounds ridiculous; '_Bungo_'…" He grumbled.

The pony whinnied at the name, ears flicking in approval.

"He likes it," Eäriel laughed quietly as Thorin shot her a scowl, and she affectionately tousled Dawn's black mane. "_Good girl_," she murmured in Sindarin, earning a nicker from her steed; she smiled warmly.

Thorin grumbled at her strange fondness for the beasts, exhaling. "I'm starting to wonder what about you it was that I missed…" He mused.

"The underlying sense that you _enjoy_ my teasing you? Or the fact that I am _more graceful_ than you are?" The She-Elf guessed with an innocent tapping of her chin, pondering as she looked heavenward.

The Dwarf glared in slight annoyance at his friend, "_Neither_ I'm afraid…" He started to growl.

"Wait! **Wait**!" A voice said behind them, and the Company halted their steeds then as all eyes rounded on the Hobbit who'd hurried after their leave of the Shire.

Eäriel smiled kindly at recognizing the long parchment clutched in Bilbo's hand, nodding as Balin examined his signature. When seeing the slight annoyance still lingering in her companion's stormy blue eyes as it was aimed at the Hobbit, she rolled her eyes and gently elbowed him, giving him a look that said to be patient.

However vain as it was, she hoped he would heed her silent request.

Sighing through his nostrils, Thorin turned his steed forward, "Give him a pony!" He ordered the others, urging Bungo forward at a trot as Gandalf's own mare was trotting at the helm once more.

Eäriel shook her head and chuckled, nudging Dawn's ribs with her heels; the black mare whinnied and cantered to resume her place next to Thorin and Bungo. "You're getting soft, _Mellonin_." She teased.

"Sod off." Thorin growled out, his left brow twitching, which earned a laugh from the She-Elf that made his ears tingle even just the slightest. He shook it off with a snort under his breath.

* * *

><p>And so they traveled on past the Wilds, beyond the comforts of civilization.<p>

Between both Hobbit and She-Elf, the latter was more accustomed to traveling; while it often wasn't on a steed and instead on foot, she had to admit she felt pity on the former as he had complained not even a few hours after their departure from the Shire that he had to turn back to get a handkerchief. Of course that was days ago now, and she imagined he was most uncomfortable riding the pony the princes had placed him on at the start of the quest.

It was at least a week or so later that the Company, after enduring a few days' worth of riding in a downpour of rain, came upon a particular predicament that involved the risen water level of a river that was unavoidable to cross.

Grumbling at noting the current seemed somewhere between mild and possibly strong, the She-Elf exhaled and looked at the Wizard. "If I knew a better way, trust me, I'd have said something…" She looked at the waters again. "I'll go first." She said, her voice rising in volume as she looked at the thirteen Dwarves and lone Hobbit, gently nudging Dawn in the ribs to cross.

The mare whinnied in vain protest before obeying, crossing the river with steady hooves, her pace quickening as both rider and horse arrived on the other bank safely.

Eäriel murmured soft praises to her steed as she dismounted, looking at the others and nodding slightly, "Two at a time!" She instructed, watching Gandalf and Bilbo cross first. Blessedly the majority of the Dwarves followed their example, save Fili and Kili who were last on the line.

Thorin kept a close eye on his nephews, watching both brothers begin to cross the river just as the current that had begun gaining strength seemed to increase. It was Kili's pony that became startled at the change, giving a fearful whinny before both rider and steed fell into the water.

"**Kili**!" Fili exclaimed as he'd gotten to the other side safely compared to his brother, perking up when a streak of black and green galloped after the prince and pony.

Eäriel pulled out the rope she'd kept on her horse's saddlebag for situations such as this, tying it to her steed's saddle horn on one end and quickly tying the other end around her waist tightly, snapping the reins on her mare, seeing the prince's pony scramble onto the bank only yards away. "Kili!" She barked just as she saw his head of dark hair bob up from beneath the waters, not taking a second to think as she jumped off the horse's back and dove into the cold river. Gasping an oath at the frigid temperature the waters earned from the recent downpour, the She-Elf swam towards the Dwarf and latched onto his stout body, hooking her legs around his waist and pulling him to her chest. She lifted her head up then to command in Elvish for her mare to come to a halt on the riverbank; she winced when the rope was taut as it knocked the wind out of her lungs for one painful moment, gripping the prince tightly in her arms just as she felt the rope being pulled from shore.

"Pull!" Thorin commanded as he also pulled on the rope while Dwalin and Gloin pulled on the mare's reins to urge her to go back, watching much to his relief as two heads of brown hair came closer to where they were as they kept pulling both prince and She-Elf to shore.

Eäriel relinquished her hold of the younger heir and pulled the taut rope off, flopping back onto the wet bank with a groan, shutting her eyes tight as she felt the air inside her lungs be replenished. "Eru's sake…" She wheezed, gingerly sitting up just in time to be embraced by a head of blonde.

"Thank you, Eäri!" Fili said and smiled even when he heard the She-Elf squeak slightly at his sudden embrace, releasing her to turn and scold his baby brother for the mishap.

The Wanderer coughed and smiled fondly at both brothers, reflexively wiping bits of dampened brown hair from her brow. "You're welcome, Fili." She mused.

"_Do you have any idea how reckless that was?_" She cringed slightly at the loud scolding their uncle gave in his low-timbre voice, and she looked up past the damp locks in her view to see Thorin standing infront of her with a scowl on his brow and his arms folded.

Eäriel bit her lip slightly and looked away. "Someone had to do it…" She began.

"I _know_ that…" Thorin growled, looking away as well with a sharp exhale. "Durin's sake, you're _beyond_ the point of reckless, Eäriel!" He stated, and while he was happy she had rescued Kili from drowning or worse, he couldn't shake the anger he felt at her reckless gesture. It was stupid and she could've… He shook his head.

"Well _forgive me_ for wishing to _preserve_ the Line of Durin!" The Wanderer snapped back, meeting his stormy blue gaze with her own piercing ice blue. She straightened to her feet without aid, huffing. "Just accept my gesture _without_ biting my head off and try to be _**grateful**_, will you?" She added tartly, twisting on her heel to retrieve her horse with squared shoulders.

The Dwarf stood where she'd left him with an expression somewhere between frustration and surprise on his bearded face. His brow furrowed into a grumpy scowl as his gaze dug into her back she showed while leading her mare back to where the others were, his nephews among the group he noticed. Growling a curse in Khuzdul, Thorin stormed after her lead so they could continue their journey.

* * *

><p>Eäriel was in a grumpy mood ever since the incident at the river, and she kept herself huddled with the princes while they were charged with keeping night watch while the others slept. She hated when Thorin was behaving like… well, like Thorin. She could never get a read on him when he was being an obstinate asshat, as he'd been for the last few days, and so this often led to little rows between both Dwarf and She-Elf.<p>

"_Should've dunked his head in the river when I had the chance_…" The _elleth_ murmured darkly in Sindarin as she shot a scowl at the supposedly-sleeping source of her currently miffed outlook.

"Eäriel…" Kili began from her left, earning a grunt of acknowledgement from the supposedly-graceful She-Elf, and he extended his smoking pipe to her, catching her by surprise for a moment.

"I don't smoke." Eäriel declined quietly, hugging her knees to her chest and turning her sights to the fire's vain embers that danced slowly before her eyes.

"You're being grumpy again… C'mon, Eäri, you don't look as beautiful as y'usually do when you're scowling." The younger prince wheedled, and when she finally stole a glance at him, he was giving her a puppy-dog look.

The corners of her lips twitched upward before the She-Elf looked away as the tips of her pointed ears burned a little. "You know you're despicable when you pull that move, Kili…" She said with a teasing edge to her voice, and she smirked softly at him.

"I told you she'd fall for it!" Kili said to his older brother with a smug grin, before said female whacked the back of his head; he winced and rubbed the spot gingerly. "Ow…"

Fili chuckled at the sore expression on his sibling's stubble-ridden face, snatching his pipe back from him. "Shoulda learned last time to not trick the lovely She-Elf, Kee." He chided.

Eäriel afforded a soft giggle when the youngest between the three of them pouted, and she smiled. "You two obviously didn't pick up your charm from your crotchety uncle." She leaned to softly kiss Kili's head before sitting back against the sturdy curved wall of their overlook spot, a cheeky look crossing her features when the younger Dwarf's ears turned pink at her affection. She saw movement in the darkness just yards away from their campfire and she calmed when recognizing the head of curly hair shuffling around the snoring Dwarves to approach the ponies, pulling a treat out for his steed Myrtle; the She-Elf's face softened at their burglar's gesture. _It's_ _a_ _wonder_ _his_ _pony_ _is_ _sweet_ _on_ _him_, she mused, her thoughts being cut short as a high-pitched screech ripped into the quiet night like a blade. She stiffened at the noise and instinctively gripped her left gauntlet where her concealed dagger was.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked nervously as he neared the campfire, looking at the trio and then at the darkened lands beyond their overlook in the same nervous state.

Fili supplied, his voice grave, "Orcs."

"'_Orcs_'?" The Hobbit echoed, reminding the lone female of a scared rabbit for a second, if his expression was anything to go by.

Catching on to his brother's teasing, Kili added in the same grave tone. "Throat-cutters; the lowlands will be crawling with 'em. Quick and quiet they are; no screams… Just lots of blood." He fought the amused look that egged to overtake his face when seeing his words had further spooked the poor Hobbit.

Eäriel recognized they were trying to play a joke on Bilbo and exhaled as she whacked both brothers on the back of the head, scowling reproachfully when they both mumbled an '_Ow_' and rubbed the spot tenderly. "I swear you two…" She sympathized with their uncle for that brief moment; Eru knew half of the grays he had on his head were caused by his mischievous nephews…

"You think that's funny?" Said Dwarf prince rumbled as he had awoken at hearing the Hobbit's movements and conversation with his heirs, glaring reproachfully at the brothers.

"We didn't mean it…" Kili supplied with a slightly wounded look on his face that Fili shared, looking down.

Thorin scoffed, "Of course you didn't; you're still young, you know _nothing_ of the world…" He grumbled, stomping off away from the fire.

Eäriel hugged her knees again and stole a look over at the irritable Dwarf, exhaling. She thought to chide him for being so harsh, but thought better of it and kept her mouth shut.

"Don't pay mind to him, laddie; Thorin's got more cause to hate Orcs than anyone." Balin, who'd also awoken when the constant snoring of his kinsmen had gotten to him plus hearing his leader's rumbling voice, supplied gently to the princes. He gave a brief knowing look to the She-Elf before beginning to recount the tale of the Battle of Azanulbizar.

She smiled fondly at hearing his tale; _yes, that was the day we first met_, she thought, looking at the strong back of the King Under the Mountain, her blue eyes empathetic. She had never forgotten how strong he looked that day, fierce and determined to take back the Kingdom of Moria from the Orc hordes that had been occupying the halls when the Dwarves hadn't been looking… While her initial aim was to honor the alliance between Elves and Dwarves, the first-born and adopted children of Eru, she had somehow gotten tied up with Thorin Oakenshield and his kinsmen, now en route to slay the firedrake that had taken Erebor for his own.

To say her immortal life was surprising would be a vast understatement.

"And the pale Orc… What happened to him?" Bilbo's quieted voice still filled with awe at hearing such a tale pulled her from her thoughts.

Thorin turned back towards the group to resume where he'd left his bedroll. "He slunk back into the hole from whence he came; that ilk died of his wounds long ago!" He said tersely.

Balin and Gandalf shared a brief look when noone noticed; Eäriel recognized the exchange and some small part of her stomach knotted at this.

Of course… How could he delude himself into believing such a lie?

* * *

><p><em>* yes more trolling because these two kids are just lovable nerds when being stubborn mules.. c'est la vie~. (; <em>

_* also a small shoutout to the latest batch of followers for this fic and a special thanks to **caraxox** for both faving/following today. thanks guys~ i'm glad you're liking the rewritten version of Misty Mountains. more to come, i can assure that! _


	4. Mutton and Dwarves On a Spit

"We camp here tonight!"

Dawn nickered softly when the She-Elf dismounted and stretched her legs, arms lifting to relax her stiffened muscles.

"Eäriel, you're on night watch." Thorin declared, earning a look from the female.

Eäriel nodded slightly and looked over at where the wizard had gone, blinking once at the odd sensation she had felt when they were nearing the designated camp spot; she'd brushed it off for a moment, but now that she fully noticed it… Her brow furrowed into a frown. She looked from the ruined remains of what once appeared to be a farmhouse and while the scent wasn't as strong as it had been perhaps hours earlier, she still caught the whiff of charred wood. She trodded closer to the wizard, further examining the remains; the furrow in her brow only tightened at the clear evidence.

Whatever had befallen the people living here was _no_ _accident_.

"A farmer and his family used to live here." Gandalf commented with a grim tone, noting the uneasy frown on the female's brow as she seemed to be thinking the same that he was.

"Thorin," Eäriel declared, hearing his heavier footsteps nearing her side at her beckon and she turned her gaze to his. "We shouldn't linger here; what happened was no accident." She reasoned, seeing the disbelief and slight annoyance her words earned from her friend.  
><em><br>Eru's sake, please tell me he isn't still miffed with what happened at the river_… She began to wonder.

"Eäriel's right; we could head to the Hidden Valley." Gandalf agreed as he also looked at the Dwarf, the scowl on the shorter male's brow only deepening at the mention of Imladris.

Thorin glared between the both of them, giving the remains a once-over for a brief second. "I've already said before, I wouldn't go near _that place_." He stated.

"Why not? The Elves could help us; we could get food, rest… _advice!_" Gandalf reminded in a just-as-stubborn tone.

"I don't need _their_ advice!" Thorin snapped tersely.

Eäriel pinched the bridge of her nose before dropping her hand to cross her arms at her chest. "If neither Gandalf nor I can read those runes, then _how else_ do you expect to get inside the Lonely Mountain? You have a key and map, all you need is someone to translate the runes… and only _Lord Elrond_ can!" She mentally kicked herself for mentioning said Elf, and judging by the glint of anger that shone in the Dwarf's glower, she had a feeling he was going to interrogate her about it as soon as Gandalf was out of earshot.

"What _help_ came from the Elves? _Your_ _kin_ didn't give aid to us when the dragon attacked Erebor! Orcs _plundered_ Moria, _desecrated_ our sacred halls… the Elves looked on and did **_nothing_**. You dare ask me to seek help from the people who betrayed both my father _and_ grandfather!?" Thorin thundered, bristling even as the She-Elf stood resilient against his raised voice.

Eäriel had half a right mind to slap him but thought better of it; _here he goes again_… "Not _all_ Elves are as paranoid as Thranduil was, that day. **He **is the one you should yell at, _not_ someone who's been helping you for the last century, Thorin Oakenshield." She stated with as much patience as she could muster, holding his glowering blue stare in her blank ice blue gaze. Looking away as she silently let him fume, she turned to walk back to her steed to hand her over to Fili and Kili who were in charge of the ponies.

Kili raised a brow when the lone female pulled her mare to relax with the other ponies he and his brother were in charge of, the thin line on her lips and the near-visible annoyance that shone in her eyes proof enough she and his uncle had butted heads again.

Fili noticed the same signs and exhaled just as she pulled the saddle from her horse and undid the bridle while muttering in Sindarin again, another sign she was catty. "He'll cool off soon, Eäri." He offered, knowing just how bull-headed his dear uncle could be; unfortunately, the elleth was just as stubborn.

Seeing her like that made him wonder just if she truly was a She-Elf. She certainly didn't behave like one, he would bite.

"If he doesn't, I'll _gladly_ knock some sense into 'im." Eäriel huffed cattily, making sure she had both twin long knives and daggers on her person along with her bow and quiver as she turned to leave them to take her place as a watcher.

Both brothers shared a patient look.

* * *

><p>Night settled among the encampment.<p>

"He's been gone a long while…" Bilbo mused with another glance over his shoulder at the wood the Wizard had stormed into only hours ago, still rather frazzled that his main source of comfort had left him with the Dwarves and one brooding She-Elf.

"He's a Wizard, he does as he chooses. 'Ere, take these to the lads and Eäriel." Bofur rolled his eyes as he handed the Hobbit three bowls of stew, turning to swat Bombur's hand away when he tried to get another helping of food.

Pausing short of the tree at the edge of the encampment where the fire's amber glow could still reach the tree, the Hobbit looked up at the lone watcher situated on a thick branch with her back to the tree trunk. "Erm, Lady Eäriel? I hope you're hungry." He said, seeing the female shift slightly at his words.

Eäriel dropped down from the branch to land on light feet, taking her bowl from his smaller hands. "I could eat. I suppose those are for the boys, then." She nodded and raised a brow when seeing the other two bowls he had.

Bilbo nodded, noting her lovely face now sported a blank look, seeming to hide the irritation she'd had earlier with Thorin, and he smiled sheepishly. "Yes, actually. I don't suppose you want a break from the tree…" It had amazed him for a moment only a few hours ago when seeing the female take her perch in said tree, climbing it as if it were nothing taxing.

"I _need_ a break, actually." She chuckled slightly, smiling in a kind manner, before taking one of the bowls from his hands as she set her bowl down by the tree. "C'mon, then." She urged, starting off to where both princes were keeping an eye on the steeds with her companion trailing after her until they walked side by side. "You don't need to be so formal, by the way. I don't bother with titles much." She added on a quieter voice as they breached the darkened line of trees.

The Hobbit blinked and looked up at the _elleth_ in slight surprise. "It doesn't seem fair to not give you some form of respect; and anyway, I always believed Elves didn't mind being given titles such as 'Lady' and 'Lord'." He said with a slight furrow of his brow, looking forward.

Eäriel smiled wryly at his insistence, shrugging her bow onto her shoulder absently. "You may respect me however you wish, even though I don't command it just because of my race." He wasn't wrong though, about Elves having titles, but that was because most Elves were someone important… She didn't believe she was so important to earn a title such as 'Lady'. She wasn't even considered worthy of it, in her own eyes.

Just because she had deemed she be the one to keep relations between the Elves and Dwarves stable, as brittle as the alliance was, she did indeed command no such respect for what she was doing.

As they were both approaching a familiar head of dark brown and blonde, both of whom were standing infront of the small clearing where their steeds were, the Wanderer looked past her friends to the clearing and stopped walking as she recognized something was off.

"What is it?" Bilbo asked as he approached the brothers with a bowl and Eäriel approached them with the second bowl, her own gaze not meeting his as she was staring at the clearing with a slight furrow of her brow.

"We're supposed to be looking out for the ponies…" Fili started.

Kili continued, "But we've encountered a, uh… slight problem. We had sixteen."

"But now there's fourteen." Fili finished.

Eäriel looked off to the side of the clearing where a small patch of it held the two mares that belonged to she and Gandalf, and her shoulders slumped slightly in elation at seeing Dawn and the wizard's mare, who she had christened as Rose, were still present. She set the bowl down just as the princes ambled over to do another headcount with Bilbo following, she trailing after them to inspect the area.

"Daisy and Bungo are missing." Kili noted as he circled the remaining fourteen ponies, perking up slightly as Eäriel had wandered away to stand infront of a felled tree not far from where they were, examining the uprooted tree. "What'd you find?" He asked as he shuffled over to her side.

"Shouldn't we tell Thorin about this?" Bilbo wondered as he looked at the older heir.

Fili silently shuddered at the thought of further angering his already-irritable uncle. "Erm, no… It's best he doesn't find out about this." He replied, looking to where both darker-haired Elf and Dwarf were as Kili had first noticed Eäriel approached a fallen tree that appeared to have been uprooted. Frowning, he looked off to see an unfamiliar light spark to life in the distance, the creases in his brow deepening.

Her slender fingers traced the tree's rough bark as a frown was on her brow, the same feeling she had gotten when they'd arrived at the campsite resurfacing full-force; she didn't like it one bit. "Whatever did this was obviously not a bear." She mused to the prince as she distinctly heard Bilbo coming to the same conclusion as his eyes were nearly as sharp as hers were in the darkness, ears pricking as she jerked her stare to the sudden light that shone in the darkness yards away from them. Her hackles rose and she instinctively drew one of her daggers, motioning Kili follow as they got closer to the strange amber light.

The closer they got, the more she recognized it was a campfire.

Fili and Bilbo followed the two darker-haired companions shortly, the latter taking the bowls with him as he didn't want the food to get any colder, coming to a halt alongside Eäriel and Kili behind a fallen log; the former poked her head slightly above the felled tree as the former kept his eyes trained on the light. Sidling to his brother's side, the blonde also barely poked his head above the log and the Halfling followed suit as he situated himself next to the She-Elf.

"He's got Myrtle and Minty!" Bilbo hissed as they ducked simultaneously to avoid being spotted by a hulking gray creature that lumbered past them with the two aforementioned steeds tucked under its arms.

Eäriel's grip on her dagger tightened as she watched the creature's much-taller shadow walk around the fire, the crude laughter from the campsite and odd sensation she'd been feeling which had now gotten worse to the point where it sickened her clicking together as she silently sneered.

"Trolls." Kili grumbled when being asked by Bilbo, his brow also sporting a scowl of distaste when recognizing just what had taken their ponies.

Bilbo frowned at the unfortunate predicament, "Well that's not good… We should do something." He mused aloud.

Both princes, at hearing his words came to the same conclusion, looked at the Hobbit simultaneously; the Wanderer raised a brow at their sudden deterring from the sticky situation they currently faced, looking between the Dwarves and lone Hobbit curiously.

"Yes, you should!" Kili said as he ushered Bilbo around their log, "Trolls are stupid and slow, and you're quick and small so it should be easy…" He began hopefully even as the Hobbit blinked a couple of times in slight confusion.

"But…" Bilbo began.

"We hope as our official burglar this should be nothing hard for you, as well. We'll be right behind you!" Fili finished in the same hopeful tone, and then adding as his brother ushered the Hobbit away from their hiding spot, "If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a brown owl and once like a barn owl!" He added as he took the She-Elf's hand as Kili followed them, leaving their poor burglar in the darkness as he turned after starting towards the campsite muttering about the instructions given.

When he turned to consult the blonde, Bilbo saw the trio was gone.

Once the trio had put some semblance of distance between them and their burglar, the lone female pulled her hand free of the blonde's grip, standing with her arms crossed at her chest when both brothers stopped as well. "Someone has to make sure those foul things don't crush Bilbo, and I'm not leaving him behind." She said with a determined look on her lovely face, turning back from the brothers to retrace her steps with her bow on hand and her dagger tucked back into her gauntlet.

"Eäri, he'll be alright… If he's fast enough, those trolls won't touch him." Kili offered to his fellow archer, watching her stop momentarily.

Eäriel exhaled and looked back at him, "There's the off-chance he _won't_ be; if we lose our burglar, it won't be pretty. Both of you, get your uncle. I'll see what I can do." She instructed.

Hesitating briefly but for the stern look that adorned her face, which somehow or another eerily resembled their uncle's, Fili was the first to nod. "Be careful, Eäri." He turned away to rush back to their camp, Kili sparing their friend one final look before shortly following his brother into the darkness.

Lighter feet not making a sound as she rushed back in the direction of the light, the She-Elf neared the encampment after hopping and angling her way around the shrubbery and second felled tree one of the trolls had knocked over. Planting her back against a still-standing tree that was close to the trolls' encampment, she stole a glance to see the trolls were still talking amongst themselves, not aware of the Hobbit trying to set the ponies free that they'd captured.

Nor of the She-Elf watching from the shadows.

Eäriel quickly and quietly scaled the tree she had been hiding behind with little noise and expert hands and feet, making a perch in one of the thicker and higher branches of the tree that had a good view of the trolls below.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust as one of them scratched at his backside; nasty beasts they were, and bloody daft as well. As she looked at the trolls going on about their evening, she began wondering just where they had come from.

Mountain trolls couldn't move in daylight as the sun would turn them to stone, and they surely weren't smart enough to find some other means of traveling down from the Ettenmoors to come so close to the Bruinen… Or could they?

But why would trolls come so close to Elvish lands? Eäriel's brow furrowed again at the strange conundrum the trio of trolls posed, and her uncertainty transformed into discomfort which slightly unsettled her nerves.

She knew the days were darkened even only a little, and that had somehow or another seemed to occur when the Dwarves of Erebor set out to take back their home from Smaug. Whatever was disturbed because of this, she had a sinking feeling the same whatever would only worsen… She dared not think it to be the Enemy, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that the Enemy was the culprit.

Yet he hadn't revealed himself, if that was the case. His strength wasn't fully restored, but still… his influence over the fell things of Middle-Earth had strengthened.

As an Elf, this left her angered. As a member of Thorin Oakenshield's Company, it only strengthened her resolve to continue the quest.

She wouldn't see the Line of Durin fall, not while she had breath left in her.

Alarmed movement from among the trolls yanked her from her thoughts, and the She-Elf perked up alertly to see Bilbo had been caught; she wrinkled her nose at seeing he was covered in some gooey liquid, and judging by where he was, which was in the skinnier troll's large hand, she didn't want to believe that beast had just sneezed on him. Eäriel tightened her gaze and loaded an arrow into her bow, not yet aiming as she waited.

The troll dropped him just as Bilbo scrambled away only to be stopped by one of the other trolls. "What are ya?" The troll who'd stopped him demanded, squinting at the small creature.

"I-I'm a burglar… hobbit!" Bilbo squeaked out.

"'A _burglar_-_hobbit_'! Never 'eard of one of those!" The second troll declared.

"Can we cook 'im?" The thinner troll sniffed, watching the fear in the Halfling's face make him stiffen; snickering, he then decided, "We can _try!_" He and one of the broader trolls tried to grab the smaller being in their large grubby hands, the second troll grabbing him by the ankle and pulling him up, just as a mess of brown hair and dark blue rushed forward to stab at the bigger troll's ankle, making the beast snarl in pain.

"Drop him!" Kili ordered, brandishing his sword as he backed up away from the trio of trolls.

"'Oo what?" The head of the trio barked angrily.

"I said '_**drop** **him**'!_" The prince emphasized sternly, perking up as the troll he'd nicked then tossed the Hobbit forward at him only for both of them to fall back onto the ground. The respite didn't last long as the remainder of the Dwarf Company launched their assault on the trolls with a combined battle cry.

Eäriel slapped her forehead as she watched their smaller stouter bodies dance in the amber light of the fire, cutting and beating at the trolls with their respective weapons, and she groaned internally at their feeble attempt to kill the beasts. While trolls weren't exactly smart, which was putting it lightly, they were bigger as well as if the Dwarves weren't careful, they could squash them with a foot. She hesitated to act, knowing that while her comrades could cut and beat all they wanted, the trolls would gain an upper hand due to obvious reasons; she would also be caught if she decided to reveal herself, but against her instinctual need to help, she remained where she was with an arrow loaded and she bit down on her lip in self-loathing for being a coward at the most inopportune time.

She didn't wait long for the events to befall her friends, unfortunately; her eyes narrowed in frustration when two of the trolls caught Bilbo and held him high while threatening to rip his limbs off, the head of the trio pointing this out to the Dwarf Company.

Thorin glowered up at the trolls, torn between where to precisely place his anger, with the Hobbit for being caught, the trolls for gaining an upper hand against their company, or the She-Elf who had conveniently made herself scarce. Blue eyes screaming with vengeance in his gaze, the Dwarf-king stabbed the blade of his sword into the ground near his feet, as his kinsmen followed suit in the same reluctant manner.  
><em><br>Where **was** that blasted elleth anyway?_

She hadn't spoken to him at all since their small '_discussion_' earlier in the day, and whenever she would see him between then and the time she disappeared with the Halfling into the wood, she would scowl and then look away with a curt motion. Her scowls weren't fueled by anger, he had noted by the second time their eyes had made contact, nor were they fueled by some form of prejudice against his kind; no, it was frustration. And judging by the way the wizard had stormed off after the discussion was finished between he and the older man, Thorin had an inkling feeling she was frustrated with his stubbornness.

Their bickering was different than how it had once been, in decades past; now it seemed she only wished to keep the peace with him, even if they butted heads rather frequently then and also now that forty years had passed between them.

Eäriel readied her arrow to be loosed as she watched the trolls place at least half the Company on a spit over the fire, the complaints and protests from the Dwarves truly making it hard for her to not jump down and kill those foul trolls. She slowly began to pull the bowstring back to fire the arrow, aiming at the troll who was deemed the cook of their disgusting trio, her keen eyes pinpointing the target she wished to take that was the middle of his brow just above the bridge of his fat nose…

"W-wait you're making a _terrible_ mistake!" Bilbo's small voice declared anxiously as he had hobbled to his feet while encased in the large burlap sack the others as well as himself had been bound in, making the trolls turn to him.

The elleth raised both brows in curiosity, lowering her bow for a moment to see just what he was planning; a small smirk began hedging around her lips in sheer curiosity towards the Hobbit's intentions. Dawn was only an hour or so away, now… "What're you planning, Bilbo?" She murmured softly to herself, blue eyes looking between their burglar to the trolls, the coiled muscles of her legs still tensed for a spring should she be called into action to rescue her friends.

"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Nori exclaimed from the spit over the fire. Bofur chimed anxiously as he was in the same predicament, "**'Half-wits**'? Then what does that make **us**?"

Eäriel inwardly snorted in amusement; _a great deal more intelligent compared to these block-heads_, she didn't voice, instead the smirk seemed to become more defined just the slightest.

"I-I meant with the seasoning!" Bilbo stammered out.

"What _about_ the seasonin'?" The lead troll scoffed dubiously.

Bilbo was quick on his feet and the elleth wondered if he had a better silver tongue than she did, "Well, have you smelt them? You're going to need something _a lot stronger_ than _sage_ before you plate _this lot_ up!"

Eäriel refrained from slapping her forehead when the Dwarves yelled _'traitor'_ simultaneously, and she didn't know who was swearing more, Dwalin or Bifur (as both Dwarves were also on the spit).

"What do you know about cookin' Dwarf?" The second troll demanded, before being shushed by the cook who allowed Bilbo to continue.

"Um, the secret to cooking Dwarf is…" Bilbo began, stalling for time and he caught the flicker of light from the tree behind the second troll just then, distinctly seeing a pair of familiar ice-colored eyes staring at him when the flicker of light disappeared and he nodded slightly, knowing she could see him clearly. So she hadn't abandoned them then! "Yes, yes, I'm _telling_ you!" He said snippily at the second troll who picked for an answer from him; the Dwarves weren't going to like what he was going to say in any situation, so… "The secret is to… to _skin them first!_" He said, scooting away a smidge when one of the Dwarves behind him attempted to kick his feet, putting him closer to the trolls after the Dwarves gave another simultaneous cry of outrage at his words.

Eäriel lowered the knife in her hand when Bilbo had seen it, and she looked beyond the tree's foliage as she distinctly heard a rush of feet just behind the trolls' encampment; keen eyes piercing the graying darkness, she saw a hint of gray robes rush past. She grinned in relief, returning the arrow to her quiver and placing her bow there as well, keeping her long knife on hand as she would need it when Gandalf arrived.

"We don't have parasites; _you're_ the one who's got parasites!" Kili's cry pulled her from her observations, and the elleth looked at the scene once more, the Dwarves giving a cacophony of protests to being infected.  
><em><br>Oh Valar please let __**one**__ of them have a brain_… Eäriel lifted her knife again to flash it so the Dwarves that weren't on the spit could see it.

Blessedly, Thorin was the one to spot the strange flicker of light, and his own blue eyes squinted before the light disappeared to be replaced with a pair of piercing blue eyes that met his in the cover of the tree. So _that's_ where she had been hiding… The Hobbit's distraction soon clicked together in his mind. He pulled his leg back as best he could while in the burlap sack and then kicked Kili's back sharply, face solemn when his kin gave him a simultaneous look.

The Dwarves paused a moment before Oín exclaimed, "I've got parasites as _big as my arm!_"

"Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got _huge_ parasites!" Kili chimed desperately, hearing Fili's agreement nearby as the other Dwarves soon added that they were riddled.

Eäriel wanted to snicker at the distraction the Dwarves gave; while it only lasted for a few moments as the cook troll rounded on Bilbo, and called him a ferret as an insult, she perked up to see the gray robes rush by as the graying blues of dawn began leaking into the sky above the encampment. She smirked in elation at the signs of a happy end to a rather long night.

"_The dawn will take you all!_" Gandalf's voice boomed loudly as he stood atop the boulder blocking the rising sunlight from the trolls, his staff brandished in one hand.

"Who is that?" One troll wondered.

"No idea." The second troll answered idly.

"Can we eat him too?" The third troll sniffed.

With a quick and powerful stab into the boulder, Gandalf watched the sunlight burst forth into the encampment as the trolls grimaced and gave vain last curses of pain when the bright light turned them into unmoving stone statues.

Eäriel laughed softly in relief as the Dwarves gave cheers of joy from where they were; her eyes roamed to Bilbo who also beamed at the save Gandalf had done for them, and then her eyes fell on Thorin who was also smiling. Her blue eyes softened as she rarely saw him smile as genuinely as he did now. Placing the knife's leather handle between her teeth, she then jumped down from her branch to land in a light crouch on the grassy floor, pulling the knife from her mouth as she straightened.

"I am surprised you weren't _also_ caught, Eäriel." Gandalf said as he approached the group and she began cutting her friends loose, starting with Bilbo's bag first.

Eäriel sighed, "I _was_ going to step in, but our dear Bilbo practically saved everyone so _my_ help wasn't needed." She looked at said Halfling and winked before shuffling to the bagged Dwarves to start cutting them free.

"We had almost thought you'd abandoned us." Thorin huffed as she released Oín, Fili and Balin, beginning to cut Kili loose as well. He wasn't as cross as he had been earlier but he was still miffed she hadn't stepped in to help them; at the same time if she _had_ acted before this moment, they probably would've been eaten by the trolls before dawn came.

Eäriel kneeled behind him to help him get free, shaking her head. "I must apologize for that… We're alive, though, so that should be what's most important." She reminded quietly, her knife's blade ripping through the cloth of the sack down to his mid-back, and she stood as he angled his way out of the sack. "You should know that I won't abandon you so selfishly, Thorin. Not while I can still help you take back your home." She added with a determined sparkle that came to life in her eyes when his gaze fell on her own.

They held each other's stares for what felt like hours before Thorin sighed through his nostrils, a wry look crossing his bearded face. "And to this day you keep your word. You are not like your kin, which makes you that much more of an enigma." He felt some measure of guilt for lumping her together with the other Elves, as it took memories of the second decade they coexisted together to remind him that she did not behave like an Elf.

She was stubborn, fierce, and bold to a fault, but she was compassionate, clever, and forgave him even when he had distrusted her because of her race.

Eäriel clapped a hand on his shoulder gently, watching the thoughtful haze fade from his blue stare until it focused on her again. "I must admit that I believe you think much more than I do; frightening thing, that is." She cracked a soft amused smile when seeing her words being processed in his mind.

Thorin's brow twitched slightly even while his mouth formed into a thin line of mild irritation. "You are impossible…" He groused, making her laugh softly, and he walked away towards where Gandalf was, leaving her in silence.

Eäriel smiled still after his leave, her left ear pricking when feeling eyes on her; she looked to see both Fili and Kili were looking at her with knowing expressions on their young faces. Her ears turned a shade of pink as her cheeks did the same and she coughed, giving the princes a reproachful glare before dusting her clothes off and striding over to where Gandalf had gone, leaving the two in her wake.

"Uncle gets all the luck, doesn't he?" Kili sighed in lament.

Fili smirked at where the female had stood, "Dunno, they're _both_ pretty bull-headed…"

* * *

><p><em>Why did she have to be right?<em>

Eäriel covered her mouth with her cloak's lapel to keep from inhaling the stench of the troll hoard the Company passed through, walking behind Gandalf and Thorin; the torch the latter wielded shined some of its amber light onto a barrel filled with swords as the Dwarf shuffled over to inspect the weapons first. She looked at the swords and perked up when catching a glint of rusty brown be illuminated by the torch; reaching past the Dwarf's head as he was inspecting another sword with a curved blade, her slender hand pulled the brown hilt out until a sword longer than the one her friend had acquired was in her hand's grip.

"These swords weren't made by any troll." Thorin pondered as he drew the curved blade covered in cobwebs.

Gandalf also inspected another sword, longer than the elleth's by at least four or five inches, his wise eyes assessing the craftsmanship that had gone into the making of the blade he held. "Nor were they made by any human smith… these swords are from Gondolin, forged by the High Elves!" He said.

Thorin had just begun to favor the sword when hearing the '**E**' word, shooting the wizard a scowl.

Eäriel rolled her eyes and exhaled patiently, "Thorin, honestly… You can't wish for a better blade! Elvish blades are sharper than anything I've seen. You know this." She reasoned with a knowing look sent to the Dwarf as both sets of blue eyes met again.

Indeed he did, although the reminder that she had sliced as many Orcs as she did with just her long knives and arrows didn't lessen the fact that he still held a dislike for Elves. The blade _was_ finely made, though… He would say that much.

Thorin snuffed with slight annoyance at her once-again successful pinning, turning to the others with the new sword on hand. "Let's get out of this foul place; Bofur, Gloin, Nori!" He added to the trio who were burying a chest filled with gold, leading the way out of the hoard.

Eäriel sighed through her nostrils, scowling at her friend's back as she secured her new sword at her left hip. "Valar save me from the stubbornness of that block-headed Dwarf…" She grumbled, jogging after their leave as she caught the tail end of the group.

Gandalf smiled bemusedly at the frustrated state of his friend, following the group but for his foot brushing across something metal on the floor, he paused and looked down; using his staff to brush the dead leaves and dirt off the item, his wise blue eyes registered what the item was.

Thorin gave the clearing they had ended up in another once-over glance as he and Dwalin stood near one tall tree, pausing when surveying everyone had gotten out of the troll hoard to see the _elleth_ had lingered near his nephews and Bilbo. He inwardly huffed at seeing she had pilfered the sword she'd eyed in the troll hoard as the new weapon now was secured to her belt, his blue gaze lingering on the rusted brown leather on the sword's hilt, the iron tip that glinted daylight from the silvery surface.

If she didn't resemble a warrior before, she certainly did now that she had that Elvish sword at her hip.

Eäriel caught his strayed blue eyes in her own piercing stare, and when his attention focused on her staring contest with him, she raised a thin brow, silently questioning if something was amiss.

He shook his head a smidge, casting his gaze at the greenery around them once again, his arms crossed at his chest.

She rolled her eyes, a smile beginning to form on her lips. She knew he'd been staring at her sword, and she briefly contemplated poking at the fact that she had been correct about the higher-grade weapons Gandalf, Thorin and herself had acquired. But for his dignity's sake, she refrained. Sharp pointed ears perking as she distinctly heard something crashing through the foliage from the left of their clearing and headed towards them, her eyes narrowed and she stepped away from the group; her right hand glued itself to the hilt of her new sword and her body tensed.

Thorin now also heard the noise headed in their direction and alerted the others, "Something's coming!" He also drew his new sword as the Dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo drew their respective weapons just in time for a pack of brown-furred rabbits jumped over the small slope of the clearing, pulling a likewise-brown sled being ridden by a man in brown robes and a brown deflated hat.

Eäriel perked up alertly when recognizing the rabbit team, and she dropped her grip from the sword. "Radhaghast?" She gaped, looking at the sled's driver as he yelled out before skidding to a halt, '_Thieves, fire, murder!_' She hadn't seen the wizard in years, as the last she'd seen him was her first time she had ventured to the Greenwood.

Radhaghast the Brown dismounted the sled to give a once-over look at the strange company of Dwarves.

"Radhaghast!" Gandalf said in relief at recognizing his fellow wizard, sheathing the sword at his hip as he approached his friend. "What on earth are you doing here?" He asked.

Eäriel shook her head and smiled in the same relief at the brown-clad wizard, looking at her companions. "Stand down, you lot; it's fine, he's a friend." She assured calmly.

"I was looking for you, Gandalf; something's wrong, terribly wrong!" Radhaghast declared as he hadn't noticed the brunette Elf, flailing slightly as he addressed the gray-clad wizard.

Thorin quirked both brows in confusion, looking to the lone female with a question in his eyes regarding the second wizard. Eäriel shrugged when meeting his questioning look and she offered a sheepish smile, recognizing the confusion as she had first felt it when meeting the strange man for the first time.

"…I had the thought and then I lost it! It was right there, on the tip of my tongue!" Making a face, Radaghast then perked up as the thought seemed to come to him, "Oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old…" Sticking his tongue out then, his last words were slightly garbled as the elleth could make out that he said, "stick insect!"

While most if not all of the Dwarves grimaced in disgust at the sight, Gandalf calmly plucked the bug from his friend's opened mouth, noting Eäriel sported an amused look when she saw the expressions on the others' faces.

"Doesn't seem like you've changed much since I last saw you, Radaghast," Eäriel said with a chuckle as she had migrated to stand near Gandalf, smiling at the shorter wizard.

"Eäriel, it has been some time since I last saw you!" Radaghast said when recognizing the elleth after recalling the first time he'd seen her, beaming and stepping closer to give her a brief tight hug; she patted his shoulder gently when they pulled apart before he sported a reproachful look she associated with a scolding look a child would receive. "You should know better than to up and leave so soon; and without telling me, either, you silly wolf girl!" He scolded.

Her ears burned slightly at his words and the Wanderer rubbed her arm sheepishly, "Sorry 'bout that." She ignored the probably amused looks their exchange earned from the Dwarves, and made a mental note to clock Thorin as she distinctly saw his amused smirk out of the corner of her right eye.

"You said you wished to see me, Radaghast?" Gandalf asked then, pulling his friend from memory lane.

"Yes, right!" Radaghast nodded and both wizards put distance between themselves and the Company to speak privately.

The She-Elf smiled wryly at their leave, sighing as she shuffled to look past the foliage in the center of the clearing beyond to the open field of golden grass her keen eyes saw; a thoughtful look entered her piercing stare as she recognized the land immediately.

They were close.

"'_Wolf girl'?_ Is that what you were known by?" Blinking, she looked to her left as Thorin looked at her curiously, his bemused blue stare meeting her slightly softened blue gaze.

Eäriel fought the heat creeping up her neck to take place in her cheeks, and she looked away out of cowardice. "It was a long time ago, and I was still wet behind the ears… I was a different Elf, then." Selfish, brash, and fierce. It was only by the grace of the Eldar and her fostered upbringing that she had retained her sanity and long life.

Pausing when registering her words, Thorin kept his curious stare on her. "More foolhardy than now, I'd imagine."

It was only in those rare moments when their bickering would come to a moot point and they were beginning to get along did he recognize some things he'd said or when their eyes would meet made her cheeks color with blush.

It was endearing, and only left him amused at the sight, before she'd gently push his shoulder or come up with a witty comeback to something he'd said. She wasn't a female that would surrender to vapours and romantics so willingly, as he'd learned.

It was moments like that where he would be reminded that she wasn't frail and certainly no damsel; she was thick-skinned, tough and confident, and he respected her for that.

Eäriel cracked a thoughtful smile at his words, and she sighed. "You have no idea…" She trailed off when sensing something was coming, and it wasn't more rabbits. She jerked her stare away from his and reflexively pulled her bow from the quiver on her back, an arrow at the ready.

Thorin's eyes narrowed at the sight before a loud howl resounded from the distance, making everyone snap to at the noise; he also rested a hand on his sword's hilt.

"Was that a wolf? A-are there wolves out there?" Bilbo spoke, looking between the group with alarm.

Eäriel's lip curled slightly as she saw something dark shift in the green, approaching them, "Not exactly." She perked up as a hulking wolf-beast came forward and launched itself at Dwalin, and she made to kill the beast when Thorin stabbed his sword's blade into its neck, killing the overgrown canine. "Warg scouts!" She growled.

"An Orc pack can't be far behind, then!" Thorin glared at the dead animal; he stiffened in surprise when Eäriel aimed her arrow at him then, only for the projectile to streak past his right ear to pierce the skull of another Warg that had tried to attack him from behind. He ambled out of the way of the felled beast that dropped where he had stood only seconds ago, his gaze landing on the She-Elf's and they shared a mutual nod.

"'_Orc pack'?_" Bilbo asked when he'd found his voice after being spooked by the sight of the now-dead beast.

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kinsmen?" Gandalf demanded as he and Radaghast came forward, his wise eyes on Thorin.

"Noone, I swear!" Giving the dead monster a glare, Thorin looked at the wizard with confusion and annoyance, "What in Durin's name is going on?" He asked.

"You're being hunted; Valar knows who wants your head, but I can tell they're obviously _not_ into negotiations." Eäriel answered before the Wizard could speak, scowling at the two dead beasts, her nose wrinkling at the stench of their decomposing bodies. "We need to leave, now." She met his hardened blue stare with a grim tensing of her jaw.

"Aye, we've got to get out of here!" Dwalin agreed with the elleth.

"We can't leave, the ponies bolted!" Ori barked as he and Bifur appeared from the slope after having checked on the steeds.

The lone female cursed in Elvish. She prepared to ask the others if they had an idea when Radaghast spoke, surprising her.

"I'll draw them off!" The brown-clad wizard declared.

Gandalf protested, "Those're _Gundabad_ _Wargs_; they'll outrun you!"

"These are _Rhosgobel_ _Rabbits_…" A cocky look crossed his wise features as Radaghast smiled. "I'd like to see them try!"

* * *

><p>Eäriel kept to the tail of the Company as they ran across the Bruinen fields, interweaving with the path Radaghast took, steering clear of the Orc party that tailed the wizard. She spared a look over her shoulder, however brief, when the sled went in one direction and their group went in the opposite, only to nearly be spotted by the Orc party when the sled crossed only yards infront of their path. Swearing in Elvish again, she urged the others move in a different direction to keep out of sight, pausing when hearing Thorin ask Gandalf where he was leading them.<p>

Gandalf gave the Dwarf-king a look before rushing after the others, leaving the Dwarf and She-Elf to bring up the rear.

Thorin shot a look at the lone female, stormy blue gaze piercing as he silently asked if she knew.

Eäriel bit her lower lip and nodded, knowing she couldn't lie to him, as he was very adept at seeing through her at this point in time. She briefly wondered when the occurrence had actually begun.

The group found brief shelter behind the base of a staunch boulder, stopping to regain their breath, when an Orc just happened to perch atop the boulder. The lone Elf's face was hard as she heard the beast's steed sniffing the air around them, glancing at the Dwarf-king as he met her eyes again and tilted his chin up at their unfortunate pursuer; from her place between the younger Durin heir and his brother, she elbowed the former.

Kili met her gaze as she silently proposed she would kill the Warg; he nodded, deeming he take down the Orc as she silently drew an arrow into her bow, pulling the string back as he followed suit.

In one quick motion, Eäriel's arrow stabbed into the forehead of the beast just as Kili's arrow pierced its rider's chest. The Orc and Warg fell forward onto the grassy ground as the former screeched in pain before being silenced by Dwalin and Bifur's fatal blows, further signaling the other Orcs that their prey were located.

"**Run**!" Gandalf ordered as he led their Company out onto the golden-grass field. Eäriel doubled back slightly when doing a head-count and not seeing Bilbo in the middle of the fanned formation the Dwarves had formed into, piercing eyes finding the Hobbit lagging behind only forty yards behind her; she loaded another arrow into her bow just as another Warg gained on the Halfling. "**Bilbo, move**!" She exclaimed just as her arrow stabbed into the beast's opened maw, making it yelp as it tripped over its own paws and fell to the ground; she sprinted to herd her companion along with her until they regrouped with the others.

Bilbo would've shuddered at the baying howls of the Wargs that were gaining on their group, their alarms louder than before, but he pressed on to keep by the She-Elf's side. Between her and Gandalf, he had people that would ensure his safety when the Dwarves couldn't, and for that he was grateful. And prayed to whatever god residing above them that it would stay that way.

"We're surrounded!" Fili exclaimed when the Wargs had begun closing ranks, snarling and baring their long teeth at the rag-tag group of Dwarves, a Hobbit and a She-Elf, forcing the Dwarves to become cornered.

Eäriel growled and fired another arrow at one Warg that got too close to she and the Halfling she was protecting, watching the beast yelp its last before falling with the arrow embedded into its frontal lobe.

"Where's Gandalf?" One of the Dwarves demanded nearby, frustration in his voice.

"He's abandoned us!" Gloin snapped in the same frustration.

"Gandalf _wouldn't_ abandon his friends!" Eäriel defended sharply as she turned to glare at the redhead Dwarf, ears twitching when hearing a snarl come from infront as another mangy Warg flew at the distracted _elleth_; a glint of sunlight shined briefly before a hollow and sickening '_shunk_' cut into the tense air.

The Wanderer glowered with the utmost disgust for the Gundabad filth she had slain, blood staining the arms of her teal tunic and leather of her gauntlets. She yanked her blade free of the Warg's opened mouth as it dropped to the ground at her feet, and she looked past it at the closely-knit group of Orcs; she spat at them, her new sword bared defensively as the collected face she had adopted now faded slightly to be replaced with the fierce and reckless She-Elf she had been in a different time.

Thorin sliced through another Warg with his new sword just as Eäriel stabbed into the forehead of another beast that had launched itself at her. "_Hold your ground!_" He commanded the Company as sunlight glinted from his sword's silvery blade, seeing the elleth drop back to stand defensively infront of their burglar.

"This way, you fools!" Gandalf's voice cut into the air around them as the Dwarf-king jerked his stare to see the Wizard's head sticking out from between a cluster of rocks, and the other Dwarves rushed over to follow where the wiser leader was.

Sheathing her sword, Eäriel ushered Bilbo after the Dwarves, perking up when Thorin called out to Kili who was still yards away, firing another arrow at an oncoming Warg. She growled and spirited past Thorin to retrieve the younger heir, hurtling into another Warg's shoulder and punting it away.

"Eäriel!" Kili declared in surprise.

"Get moving, Kili! **NOW**!" Eäriel commanded over her shoulder, notching another arrow into her bow and firing before she flew after the brunette Dwarf. Narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws of another angered Warg, she hooked her arm around his waist and dove down into the rabbit-hole escape from the field of Orcs and Wargs.

Both brunettes landed unceremoniously in a heap on the floor of the tunnel, the She-Elf grimacing slightly when the younger prince had landed on her back.

"Valar's sake, I'm getting too old for this…" Eäriel groaned, feeling relieved when Kili was pulled off her by his brother, and she accepted the hand of aid from Bilbo who'd been standing near her, her body feeling sore even as she straightened with little help from her companion, nodding to him.

"Thanks for that, Eäri." Kili said when she rubbed her neck gingerly, smiling with a slightly apologetic look crossing his stubble-ridden face in regards to their tumble into the hidden tunnel.

The Wanderer smiled kindly despite his apology, tousling his darker bangs affectionately. "Don't mention it; just don't land on me the next time, okay?" She teased, perking her ears then at hearing hoof beats thundering softly on the grassy fields of the Bruinen above. Everyone looked at the hatch of the tunnel as a loud horn sounded before an Orc's body tumbled into their hiding place to land at Thorin's feet.

Thorin lifted the arrow that had stuck itself into the foul ilk's neck. "Elves." He spat quietly as he tossed the arrow away, scowling.

"I cannot see where the path leads!" Dwalin declared from the end of the tunnel where it opened into daylight, looking back at the Company, "Do we follow it or not?"

"Follow it, of course!" Bofur answered quickly, jogging to follow the bald Dwarf as the rest of their kinsmen followed.

Watching Bilbo catch up alongside Gandalf, Eäriel started to follow them when Thorin's calloused hand caught her upper wrist, not minding the smudges of Warg blood that were to stain his hand. She frowned and looked at him, even as they kept walking after the others, his grip never wavering.

"You know these lands; _you knew_ we were crossing into Elf territory."

"Aye."

"Not all Elves are _rogues_ like you; I said I would not go to that place, and I meant every _bloody_…"

"And not all Elves are _Thranduil!_" She hissed, glaring impatiently at her companion, his fingers' grip tightening on her forearm when he had seen the annoyance burning in her blue orbs. "Lord Elrond is not so _selfish_, Thorin... Whether you wish to believe it or not. Imladris was once my home, when I had nowhere else to go." A saddened light replaced the annoyance once present, and the Dwarf-king paused when recognizing he'd unearthed a part of her past.

_A part she had not told him as of yet_.

Thorin gave her a hard frown as he could practically see her redressing the bandages on the wound he'd touched on, and the smaller part of him that wasn't in an uproar about their latest place of rest kicked him for what he'd done. Sighing through his nostrils, he eased his grip on her forearm a smidge. "Eäriel, I did not mean to…" He said on a quieted voice.

Eäriel's ears tingled slightly at hearing him speak her name in his subdued tone, and she shook her head, looking upon his stormy blue gaze and offering a small reassuring smile. "I understand your resentment you have towards my kin. But it is not _their_ fault they turned away, that day… Most of us were fearful of what Thranduil would do if we went against his wishes to retreat to the Greenwood. I was also a coward that day, not for my life but for what he would do to the others in our ranks who were thinking the same that I was." Her reassuring smile turned into a hollow and bitter one, for a moment. She sighed quietly. "I do not regret many things, but that is one thing I will regret, for as long as I live." She whispered.

He soaked in her explanation, knowing by her actions thus far that she had no intention of lying to him, even when he bristled at the mere thought of that arrogant, corrupted pointy-ear king laying a hand on Eäriel. No, if the day came should they come across Thranduil, Thorin would _not_ let him strike his friend.

Not while he could do something about it.

She watched the emotions change out on his rugged features and a small fond smile crept onto her lips as she could practically hear his thoughts regarding Thranduil… Something in her heart ached when recognizing he would not see her be harmed by the Elvenking. Beneath his tough crotchety exterior, Thorin Oakenshield was kind, and she knew with that hope that he would make a great King Under the Mountain.

Thorin looked up at noting everyone else had stopped, and he almost let the surprise show clearly on his face, as he stared at the sprawling buildings that were painted the same creamy white color, the whiteness of the buildings reflecting the sun's mid-afternoon rays of light.

Eäriel smiled warmly at the familiar sight, giving a sigh of relief. "Rivendell." She whispered, not seeing the brunette dwarf's blue eyes glance up at her when he saw she smiled.

If she didn't know better, she would've thought he'd also smiled.

* * *

><p><em>* whoa look <strong>another<strong> mouthful! lol i figured this chap was going to be lengthy, but not THAT much.. wow. well i'm happy with it, overall. and on that topic, guys! 1000(+) views? thanks so much, i don't know what to say other than thanks! i'm very happy. i'm on no sleep atm so i'm going to edit this little number and then slink off to bed. _

_* small note here, as you can tell, Eäriel obviously has some history with Imladris, nothing too strenuous though so no fretting will be required. and yes, the fluff between she and Thorin is a tad slow, i know, but it's getting there. tbh i'm trying to go at this at a steady incline, y'know? i mean they already have an established friendship, while somewhat rocky because of certain issues, and Thorin is slowly starting to understand Eäriel and not see her as another Elf he should despise on sight. besides, can't make them madly fall in love while just in the first movie can you? that's insanity! xD not that i knock it, i just don't see the point in a fastly-inclining non platonic relationship. _

_* i've posted a few previews of upcoming chapters on **my** **tumblr**, btw. the link's on my profile: **Istay-on-the-elvenpathI | tumblr**, there's only two at the moment, but they're just epiphanies that come to me in the wee hours of the night or if i've got the dwarves on me mind while trying to sleep.. orz. _

_* had a small procedure done today and the doc said i can't stress my foot much for the next week or so, so hopefully i'll be able to dish out more chapters! i'm rly hoping i can get to **DoS** by this next Saturday... sooner than that would be near impossible but i've done this before so it shouldn't be hard. i hope._

_* small spoiler regarding **Desolation of Smaug**: **'If they are to be prisoners then I will be, as well!' **(free cyber cookies if you can guess who Eäriel is telling this to~.)_


	5. A Brief Respite

It appeared the only ones who showed their elation at entering the grounds of Rivendell were the Wizard, Elf, and Hobbit.

Eäriel was glad to once again feel the calmness the atmosphere of her old home held, the dying sun's warmth that spilled onto her body as she walked at the tail of the group; she briefly wondered why she had been foolish enough to leave so long ago.

She would happily take Imladris over the Greenwood any day!

"Mithrandir." A brunette Elf said as he descended the small stairwell leading to the courtyard they stood on, a polite smile on his face. "And Lady Eäriel. We had not expected you to return."

Gandalf nodded to the male Elf, "Hello, Lindir."

Eäriel gave a knowing eye-roll at the title, "Nice to see you as well, Lindir." She pretended her casual response didn't earn a few looks from the Dwarves in her company.

"_We heard you crossed into the valley_." Lindir addressed both Elf and Wizard in Sindarin, not missing the distrustful aura the two taller beings' Company harbored; he was not surprised, as the Dwarves didn't trust Elves even with their lives.

Gandalf was the first to reply, "I must speak with Lord Elrond."

"My Lord Elrond isn't here," Lindir answered with a slight crease of his brow.

Eäriel's ears twitched as she distinctly heard hooves rushing towards the small courtyard they stood in, and she felt a smile form on her lips. "I wonder where he went, then…" She trailed off as the same hunting horn rang out, glancing over her shoulder as the hunting party galloped down the stone bridge to the courtyard, bearing the banners of the Lord of the Last Homely House.

Thorin shouted in Khuzdul to his kinsmen then, adding "Close ranks!" He shot a look at the lone elleth as she had slipped out of the throng, compared to the Halfling that was pushed to the middle of the formation; he glared at the Elves slowing their pace to a calm trot as the horses circled their group before one regal-looking brunette Elf in particular looked at the Wizard and She-Elf with some surprise before it left a warm expression on his face.

"Gandalf!" Lord Elrond declared, sparing a second look at the elleth. "And Lady Eäriel."

Eäriel's lips pursed slightly at being given her old title she'd had while in the Elven lord's house in a different time, and she spared him a wry smirk.

"_My friend, where've you been?_" Gandalf asked in Sindarin with a respectful downward tilt of his head as Eäriel only gave a nod.

"_We've been hunting an Orc pack that came up from the South_." Lord Elrond answered as he dismounted the horse, landing lightly on the stone floor, "_We slew a number of them near the Hidden Pass_." He added on a slightly slowed tone, and the lone female could practically see the gears working in his mind as he pieced together just why a pack of those disgusting filth had trespassed into the Bruinen, so very close to his home. He approached the taller duo of the Company and embraced the wizard, pulling back with a knowing expression on his face, "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders; some_thing_ or some_one_ has drawn them near!" He said as a smile formed, and he spared the elleth the same smile.

Her ears burned slightly and she felt a pout attempt to take hold of her lovely face. "That _might've_ been us… What of it?" She sniffed, imagining if she were still a younger Elf, she would've caved at the impending scolding from her surrogate guardian.

At this point, Lord Elrond turned his sights onto the Dwarf-king who had stepped forward as a sort of representative for his kinsmen, dark green eyes locking on the shorter male's stormy blue. "Welcome Thorin, son of Thráin." He greeted warmly.

Thorin tensed slightly in place and his hackles rose a smidge, "I do not believe we've ever _met_." He clipped tersely, not paying mind to the sharp glare his tone earned from the female of his Company as he folded his arms over his chest defiantly.

"You have your grandfather's bearing; I knew Thror when he ruled Under the Mountain." The dark-haired Elf explained calmly, quelling the spark in his temper that arose when the Dwarf spoke in his terse voice.

"Is that right? He made no mention of _you_…" The Dwarf-king sniffed coldly, swearing he could feel the Wanderer's glare burning into his skull, yet he still chose to ignore her.

Eäriel inhaled sharply when Lord Elrond spoke in Sindarin without letting his eyes stray from Thorin's cold stare and she pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing the Dwarves wouldn't understand the Elvish words. She exhaled wearily when Gloin snarled an accusation at the Elven lord, and she answered clearly for him. "He's offering us food and wine, for the Valar's sake. _Calm_ _yourselves_." She said, giving the Dwarves an exasperated look that lingered longest on Thorin's still-cold stare.

Lord Elrond shared a look with Gandalf, both men sporting a patient smile, before the former and his hunting party started off into the inner recesses of Rivendell, the latter accompanying the elleth, Halfling and Dwarves as they brought up the rear.

* * *

><p>Eäriel stared out at the waterfalls holding the brilliant sunlight in their current as the waters traveled downward through the deep cut into the mountainside they'd made, and she smiled wistfully.<p>

She'd bathed only an hour or so past, elated to get clean once again and scrub off the filth and dirt from the run-in with the trolls and Orc pack, and now stood on one of the various balconies admiring the breathtaking scenery that Rivendell had to offer. She'd changed out of her traveling garb with the knowledge that her clothes would be cleaned and ready for her departure whenever the Company left, and into a pair of dark brown breeches that her well-worn black boots concealed below the shin and a loose-sleeved teal tunic on her torso.

Ears twitching when hearing lighter footsteps approaching her balcony, she glanced over her shoulder as their host came to stand next to her at the balcony railing, his hands clasped behind his back. She nodded her head down a smidge in respect, keeping her eyes trained on the waterfalls.

"As I recall, you were only half a foot shorter when you left my home a millennia ago."

"Things change."

"Not everything." At her glance in his direction, the older Elf gave her a knowing smile, "You remain the clever and thick-skinned Elf you were when you left the valley. Yet your compassion for the Dwarves still puzzles me."

She resumed staring at the ever-falling water bathing in the sun's dying light, a small grin crossing her lovely features. "I regret leaving here, now that I look back on that day… But I do not regret making a connection to the Dwarves. They're loyal, warm, and stubborn. I don't see why we shouldn't try to get along."

He nodded, elated that while she hadn't made a more firm connection with the Woodland Elves, her intentions towards befriending and defending the Dwarves remained pure. "You sound like your father; I recall he didn't hold bitterness towards the Dwarves, either."

"Aye, he didn't. He told me once, when I was little, that he could hold his own in a drinking game against at least two Dwarves." Her softened ice-blue eyes glimmered with nostalgia and she laughed quietly, a fond smile claiming hold of her lips. "_Ada_ would've been proud, I imagine, if he saw me now." She whispered more to herself.

"The boys missed you; as does Arwen."

"Where are they, Elladan and Elrohir? And Arwen?"

"Arwen is studying, at the moment. Elladan and Elrohir are away on a mission in the North. Were they not occupied, I imagine they would've already come to welcome you back."

She chuckled at the thought, smiling again. "I know. So, I imagine you came to fetch me for dinner." She looked fully at her former guardian and raised a brow.

"I had a feeling you would be here, as you always used to enjoy the sight of the waterfalls." He nodded, smiling back, before gesturing they both make their way to the dining room where the Dwarves were.

* * *

><p>Thorin kept his stormy eyes on the female of their Company as she had entered the room with Lord Elrond and Gandalf, noting she had indeed gotten cleaned up after the first half of their journey, if the certain shine in her brown mane of hair and the fresh teal colored tunic was anything to go by.<p>

Eäriel raised a brow when she had been seated at the head table with Gandalf and Lord Elrond, right across from Thorin, finding his darker blue eyes seemed to dig into her skull; her face blanked in response and she met his gaze with patient lighter blue eyes.

He was still unclear about her ties to Lord Elrond and the whole of Rivendell, and she briefly wondered where his brief sense of sympathy he'd shown on the way to the entrance of the Elven settlement had gone.

She once again had the feeling that he would get his answers at a later time come hell or high water, when they weren't in the presence of Gandalf or Lord Elrond.

His obstinate demeanor often annoyed her to no end, though on the off-chances between them, she had found it to be endearing.

"I have been told you acquired a new weapon on your way here, Eäriel." Lord Elrond spoke, pulling her from the staring contest between both elleth and Dwarf-king, one brow raised at her even as he gestured one of the servants bring her new sword forward.

Eäriel nodded with a small humble smile, "Aye, I did. Served me well already." She replied, noting the sword and scabbard had been cleaned, and watching as the older Elf examined her new blade.

"I recall this sword, now…" Lord Elrond said as he drew the blade out by a few inches from the dark brown scabbard it was encased in, dying sunlight winking off the bit of iron blade that was drawn. "This was once called Hathelas, Leaf Blade. It served the captain of the guard well when he served the now-passed High King of Noldor… It is a fitting name for an Elf of the Greenwood." He smiled knowingly as he sheathed the blade and handed it to her.

Shrugging in the same humble manner, she smiled back and lowered the sword to lay it across her lap. She pretended Thorin didn't quirk a brow at Lord Elrond's last comment.

"How did you come by these?" The older Elf looked to Gandalf for answers, as he knew the elleth was to answer questions at a later time, even though he would not be the one asking them.

"We found them in a troll hoard on the Great East Road, only before we were then ambushed by Orcs!" Gandalf replied, momentarily looking from Eäriel to Thorin before looking at his friend.

Lord Elrond raised a curious brow, "And just _what_ were you doing on the Great East Road?" He asked slowly, also glancing at the other two occupants of the table, before his dark green eyes rested on the wizard.

"We were just passing through." Gandalf answered for them, as Eäriel dipped her head in respect and excused herself from the table just as Thorin did the same, leaving him with the Elven lord.

"Bloody nerve-wracking to be over there," Eäriel grumbled as she found a seat at the middle table with Bilbo and Balin, sitting on the former's left.

"Why's that? Lord Elrond seems kind enough…" Bilbo wondered as he glanced at the small table where both Elf and Wizard sat, looking at the female.

Running her fingers loosely through her brown hair, the Wanderer sighed. "S' not him that was giving me a dagger-glare." She replied.

Balin quirked a brow at hearing the female's quieted response, and at a glance he spared to the Dwarf-king who had resurfaced from leaving the main table to now stand against a pillar closer to the last table, a knowing expression overtook his wise face. "Don't mind him, lass; you know as well as I that he has difficulty accepting the fact that you are close to the Elves that live here." He mused, perking her ears.

Her eyes softened and she looked off to the dying sunlight beyond her reach, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "Better than the other Elves he dislikes more than these ones… This was once my home, and I took it for granted in the past, yet now I feel guilty for doing what I did." She replied with a nod.

Bilbo raised both brows as he listened to their conversation, and he began to wonder just how long Eäriel had lived in Rivendell… And why had she left?

* * *

><p>Shaking her head even as she laughed with the others, Eäriel straightened from her seat near Bofur and Bifur to reacquaint herself with the halls of Rivendell, assuring her friends she would return before they went to sleep, before slipping into the darkened halls.<p>

She remembered vividly that she had not wanted to be here when she was first brought as a child, the sting of grief at losing her parents making her near unbearable to raise. She had to thank Lord Elrond for his patience with her, and now she wondered just how he had done it…

"Eäriel?" A familiar small voice spoke, pulling her from her memories.

She paused in looking upon the quiet night that was beyond the hall she walked, turning slightly to see Bilbo had followed, and she raised a brow in curiosity. She smiled a little at the Halfling and gave a nod for him to join her, waiting for him to close the distance between them before continuing on her stroll. "I'm surprised you aren't with the boys." She mused calmly once a small amount of silence settled between them.

He shrugged slightly and said, "There's too much of this place to not explore." He wasn't lying about that, she silently deduced.

"Aye, though it's more beautiful in the daylight than in moonlight." She smiled fondly as they passed through another hall, wondering if he had just run into her on coincidence or if he had sought her out to ask about something.

She would admit the Halfling was rather clever for someone so small, so she ruled out the former.

"You mentioned at dinner that Rivendell was once your home…" Bilbo met her placid piercing stare when it landed on him again, seeing a knowing light brighten her eyes; he smiled sheepishly at being caught in his motives. "I wanted to ask, about how you came to live here. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, though! I just… your story is sort of confusing." He added with a small nervous chuckle.

Eäriel paused as she stared at the moonlight bouncing off the green brush to her right, exhaling softly. "Suppose I don't seem so open as I should be towards you. I'm sorry about that." She gave him an apologetic smile, before her gaze wandered to the stars shining brilliantly in the velvety blanket of night that covered the sky. She inhaled again as she gathered her thoughts, touching on the old memories she had tried to bury long ago... "My father and Lord Elrond were good friends, and while my small family lived in a village near the Misty Mountains, they kept in contact despite the fact that my parents were of the Greenwood. I was a child when my parents were taken from me, killed in the night by a band of Orcs that ambushed the village and burned it to the ground. I fled before the flames turned my home to ashes, and I didn't stop running for days. After collapsing from exhaustion and lack of water, I was found by the river passing through Rivendell by a search party of Elves belonging to Lord Elrond. He took me in, raised me along with his children, taught me enough about fighting and the ways of our people. I left Rivendell one thousand years ago with the thirst for adventure, headstrong, brash and fierce. I traveled to and stayed in the Greenwood, living amongst my kin in the Woodland Realm, until a few months after Erebor was attacked by the dragon. Lord Thranduil didn't lift a finger to aid the Dwarves because he had seen enough of his people die, scarring him not just externally but internally as well. I knew this of him, yet it didn't stop me from wanting to give my aid to the Dwarves. The last thing I saw of the Woodland Realm was my friend wishing me goodbye, as he knew I would not return while Smaug still dwells inside the Lonely Mountain." She finally tore her gaze away from the stars with a steady exhale only to see the Hobbit was also staring at them, seeming to silently take in all she had told him.

"You gave up everything to help the Dwarves…?" Bilbo murmured as he looked at her with the same curiosity that had urged him to ask her to tell him about her past in his brown eyes. He wouldn't deny that he missed the comforts and warmth of his home, now especially that they were in a tranquil and warm place that made his homesickness worsen, but to survive through what the She-Elf had gone through only to give up what she had to help a band of Dwarves like the ones they traveled with…

Eäriel smiled thoughtfully and continued walking, her pace slowed as she let him catch up, and she nodded. "I feel at home with them, more than I felt in the Greenwood, even moreso than I feel here. They sometimes behave like brothers to me, smaller in size but just as loyal and kind, and they are important to me. They are what I would give my life for, if it comes down to it, so long as they can get their home back… When I cannot." She said the last three words on a sombered note, and Bilbo had to look at her to see the same sadness filled her pale blue eyes.

"Eäriel…" Bilbo declared quietly, thinking of placing a sympathetic hand on her arm but hesitating to do so; she was strong enough to place a lid back on her memories she had shown him, so he had some confidence that she would be alright without his sympathy.

She _did_ come off as someone who neither wanted nor expected sympathy, taking it gratefully when it was extended to her.

"…The throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright! What is it you're afraid of?" Gandalf's familiar voice spoke from a small distance away from them, and Bilbo looked off to a thin bridge connecting one end of Rivendell to the other was parallel from where they had stopped, which was a small stairwell leading down near where the Dwarves were, to see he was speaking with Lord Elrond.

Eäriel frowned softly at the topic of their conversation, perking up and glancing to see said Dwarf-king had been listening as well, standing silent by the second stairwell with his eyes trained on the two men; she bit her lower lip and the crease in her brow deepened.

Lord Elrond was quick to remind, "… You forgotten? A case of madness runs deep in that family; his grandfather lost his mind, and his father fell to the same sickness! Can you swear that Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall?" His words reminded the female of something Gandalf had told her just before the start of their journey, how Thráin had gone missing and he'd found him in Dol Goldur only months before meeting with her in Bree. "Gandalf, it is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle-Earth…"

Eäriel looked at Thorin as he turned to ascend the steps she had descended from, and his back seemed smaller the more she stared at him. She looked at Bilbo and offered a small smile of assurance before turning to follow her friend's departure.

* * *

><p>Thorin was <em>not<em> his grandfather: he had seen what the gold sickness had done to him, how it made him greedy and only served to aid his demise at the Battle of Azanulbizar… He swore that he would not die like that, that he would fight the sickness that had claimed both his forefathers' lives. _He was not his grandfather_…

"Thorin?"

He stiffened slightly in place when hearing her familiar voice, and he stopped walking for a moment before continuing on into the dark halls, hearing her quieter footsteps following, knowing she could catch up to him in less than minutes due to her long legs.

"Thorin, wait." She requested as his pace quickened a smidge; she knew he was hurt by the words of their host, and she furrowed her brow as she neared him again. "**Thorin**!" She grasped for his right arm, catching in the sleeve of his tunic, and she stopped him from continuing on. "I'm sorry you had to hear that… Lord Elrond doesn't know you; he doesn't think the quest a wise decision…"

"And do you _agree_ with him?" He rumbled, silencing her words, and he glared up at her sombered blue eyes through angered blue eyes, his face contorted into a hateful grimace, his voice raising a smidge as he demanded, "_Do you think me a fool like he does?_" He knew just by watching her become happier and chipper over the last couple of days that she had missed Rivendell, and some part of his heart clenched at the thought of her staying with her own kind instead of staying with him and his kinsmen.

"No, I don't! You're not a fool, Thorin…" Her slender fingers gripped his arm reflexively as her piercing eyes brightened with determination, "Not in my eyes." She added softly.

He jerked his arm free of her grip to stand before her, both arms crossing firmly at his broad chest. "Why didn't you tell me you hailed from Rivendell? You said you had forsaken your place in the Woodland Realm fifty years ago… Which is the truth, **Elf**?" He growled out, fixing her with a penetrating glare.

She gave a slow exhale of patience, turning her gaze away to stare at the moonlight that trickled into the hall they stood in, feeling his stormy blue eyes digging into her skull. He began to ask again when she spoke, her voice quiet, "I was raised in Rivendell after my family was killed by Orcs in a night raid when I was little. I stayed in Rivendell for three thousand years and then I left because I was restless and wanted adventure." She looked from the moon's pale light into his piercing blue gaze, a bitter smile hedging at her lips. "The Elves of the Woodland Realm are my kin, so I traveled back home, in a sense. Stayed there for a little over another thousand years, and I was there the day Smaug took Erebor. I was there the day Thranduil turned his back on your kin… And I was livid." She crossed her arms over her chest, slightly hugging her ribs as she turned away to face the darkness outside of the hall. "So, on the day of the Battle of Azanulbizar, when our dear king wouldn't lift a finger to help his neighbors retake their sacred second home, I left. He let me go without so much as batting an eye. You can guess the rest." She whispered the last sentence, tilting her chin downward.

Soaking in her tale, the Dwarf didn't know what to feel; anger that she hadn't told him she was a Woodland Elf, or surprise that she had left the peaceful life she'd been given to help him, to help his kin get their home back. So he asked the one question he could come up with.

"Why did you choose to give aid to us, why did you choose to stay with your enemies instead of with your kin?" He asked carefully, turning to face her, her thin body bathing in the thin moon's light, and for a moment she looked ethereal, like something out of a painting.

"As you may have noticed, I'm not like other Elves." She gave a soft weak laugh at that, turning to face him again, resting her hip against the pillar. A sad smile tugged at her lips as she explained, "I have seen enough lives be thrown away; others that were not meant to die… Elves have long lives, to the end of time if we're greedy enough to spare our own skins and let lesser people die in our steads. But you are not my enemy, and that goes not just for you but your nephews, and the other Dwarves. I only wish to not see you suffer any more than you already have… I will help, as I once did fifty years ago, and I would not expect anything in return." Even as she said this, she knew he was imagining a smaller version of the elleth standing before him being exposed to the horrors of seeing her parents slain before her eyes by filthy Orcs… She closed her eyes and sighed softly through her nostrils. "I am not afraid of death, Thorin."

Thorin turned away to piece together the truth she had given freely; freely, without struggle or argument… She had shown in the past that she wasn't one to lie to him, she was honest… Some small semblance of his dislike for Elves resurfaced, and he raised a thick brow as he looked at her. "How do I know you would not wish to stay, should we pass by the Greenwood in the future? Surely your kin would be looking for you…" He wondered, curiosity making his voice sound curt.

Eäriel's brow furrowed into a frown and sadness glimmered in her eyes, her gaze piercing. "You would doubt me after all this… Do you trust me at all, Thorin Oakenshield?" She demanded softly, and he saw the anger slowly overcoming her lovely face, making her gaze tighten as it locked with his own.

"I…" Thorin closed his mouth and looked away sharply, a thin line on his lips, as he rethought and went over everything she had said in the back of his mind…

No, she did not lie. How he knew, he had no clue whatsoever; some small part of him blamed her Elvish nature for believing such a thing, but overall, he believed her. "Yes." His voice was barely above a whisper, yet she heard it.

The corners of her eyes stung but she shook her head, a slow smile forming on her lips. She nodded when he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Thank you." She replied quietly. She turned to leave him in the hall as her quieter feet put distance between them, feeling as if the weight of his questions had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Eäriel." He watched her halt, glancing back at him over her shoulder; he glanced down the hall behind him before meeting her gaze. "We leave at dawn. I trust you to not inform Gandalf of this." He stated, waiting for her to protest or frown even.

But no, she did neither of those things.

Eäriel nodded in understanding, "Right. C'mon, I'm sure the boys are wondering where you went." She gestured he join her, a soft smile tugging at her lips, before she looked away to continue her exit.

Thorin smiled wryly at her stumping him once again, and he ambled after her until they were side by side.

* * *

><p><em>* again, i must thank you guys for giving this story <strong>1300<strong> **views**! i'm very pleased and if i get **more reviews** i'll try to update faster. ^^_

_* so, there you have Eäriel's backstory, which explains why she hates Orcs and as to why she is moreso fond of Rivendell than the Greenwood. and before anyone asks, Thorin knew she came from the Woodland Realm when she helped him and his kin at the Battle of Azanulbizar, but he wasn't aware she was in a general sense, a Woodland Elf. not sure about you lot, but i foresee very interesting things to happen in **Desolation of Smaug**, don't you~?_


	6. Stone-Giants and Gundabad Ilk

Bilbo seemed a bit more glum about leaving Rivendell than she had.

The Wanderer sighed slightly as the Company took rest, the sun slowly dying behind the mountain range; it had been two days already, yet she felt like it had been weeks. Some small part of her hoped they would see Gandalf soon, as they'd be crossing into the mountains the next day… She knew better than to believe Thorin would stop if the wizard didn't rendezvous with them once the terrain got harder to travel in.

Valar save her from the stubbornness of that Dwarf!

"You see anything?" Said Dwarf's low voice questioned at her back as she stood looking in the direction they'd come, surveying that they had not been followed; both of them doubted the Orcs had dared to cut through the Hidden Valley as they had seen the force of the Elves living nearby that protected their borders, yet one couldn't help but wonder.

"No, we're safe tonight." She answered as she closed her eyes and loosely ran a hand through her hair, opening them as she caught whiff of the food Bombur was cooking; her stomach growled quietly, and she felt her ears burn as the heat crept up her neck to her cheekbones.

Thorin smirked bemusedly at the supposedly-graceful female's unintentional noise, crossing his arms at his chest. "Come on; I'm sure even Elves need to eat once in a while." He urged, turning to amble back to the others.

Eäriel scowled sorely at the back of his head of black hair, and she huffed as she followed him, coming to his right and pushing on his shoulder. "Such a noble king," she said flippantly, striding ahead of him to plonk down next to Fili and Kili.

Thorin made a sideways face at her remark and playful gesture, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. "Elves."

"Uncle, you missed seeing Eäri dance back in Rivendell," Kili commented when dinner was put away and most if not all of the Dwarves were busy relaxing and smoking to digest the stew Bombur had cooked, having been bored even as he lounged next to Fili and both shared a smoke on their pipes.

Eäriel blinked at being mentioned by the younger heir, busy examining the cleaned blade of one of her long knives, and she looked up from sitting near Bilbo when Thorin glanced at her curiously. Her ears tingled slightly and she looked away and down at her knife. "It wasn't much, and besides, I'm not that good at dancing…" Nor was she good at singing. Even if she was combed to be a fine elleth in Rivendell, neither of the feminine talents were her forte.

"Don't sell yourself short, lass! Y'even made our stay in that place more bearable," Bofur said cheerily, and the female was glad she was not sitting close to the fire otherwise the others would see her burning cheeks.

Bilbo quirked both brows at noticing the sudden coloration of her cheeks and he fought a smile for fear that she would see it, coughing slightly, "I'm sure Eäriel doesn't feel up to showing it again…" He tried to defend, earning a grateful look from his friend.

"Unless she's afraid." Thorin interjected coolly, making the elleth's head snap in his direction as he was smoking near Dwalin, and when both sets of blue eyes met, his held a challenge and some measure of amusement at her embarrassed state.

Eäriel's chest puffed in indignation and her jaw set slightly, her left brow twitching. "Sorry?" She wondered in a strangely sweet tone, barely getting the word out without clipping in slight irritation.

Fili and Kili shared a look at the irritated Elf and the death glare she was giving their uncle, the younger princes valiantly fighting a grin of amusement. Bilbo looked between the two with slight concern for the sudden tension exhumed from the female he sat closest to.

"Your skills on the battlefield apparently outweigh the… skills, of being feminine. It only makes sense." Thorin continued calmly, enjoying getting back at her for having not been truthful with him since they had entered Rivendell, amused at the fire igniting brilliantly in her ice colored orbs.

Her lips curled half way into a knowing and dangerous smirk as she clearly got the message. Getting back at her, was he…? Two could play at that game. Eäriel slid her eyes closed momentarily and exhaled as she returned the knife to its sheath, distinctly seeing the amused look falter in his stormy eyes when she met his gaze again as she straightened to her feet. "There is no rule that says Elves can't be best at just swordplay and archery." Shrugging the belt from her waist that held her knives and spare daggers, she flexed her arms and fingers. "Gentlemen, if you'll kindly get another tune going. And Fili, love, I could use a partner!" She smiled sweetly at the older heir as Bofur, Oín, and Bifur prepared to perform another song and Fili stood to greet the elleth in the light of the fire.

"Erm, are you sure we should be making noises, this far out?" Bilbo couldn't help but wonder.

"It'll be another day before we reach the mountains, laddie." Balin said near him, turning his attention to the fire as the trio began a song as Fili and Eäriel began dancing to the beat.

Thorin's amused look had fallen by this point, his blue eyes watching the lithe movements of the elleth as she and his nephew danced, knowing just by glancing at the other younger Dwarves present that their eyes were trained on the lanky Elf who seemed to entrance all of them with her fluid movements and light feet that moved to the song's rhythm. He even let himself admire the warm amber glow of the fire that highlighted her mane of brown hair and made it look auburn in the light, her warmed ice blue gaze that was on Fili's darker blue gaze, a cheery smile on her lips. He felt a smile slowly form on his bearded face at the merriment the evening had taken on, glad to not only be away from the Elvish settlement, but also that his Company could relax for one more night.

The song came to a slow end and the dancers came to a halt as the last tune faded into the calm night. Both slightly winded from dancing, the Dwarf and Elf grinned at each other before laughing as the Dwarves that were watching applauded.

Fili smirked patiently when Kili and Ori, the youngest of the Company, gave their praises at a louder volume than their senior companions did, and he looked at Eäriel as she beamed. For the first time since he'd known the Elf, she actually looked happy, happy being with the Dwarves, as if she wasn't a different race or if she hadn't given up everything she had to join their quest. He was glad for seeing even just a moment of happiness, glad for the She-Elf. "My lady." He said lightly, pulling her from her gaze at the others, and she smiled warmly at him as they both gave a slight bow.

Eäriel smiled again at Fili as they stepped away from each other, her softened ice blue gaze searching and finding Thorin's darker blue eyes and she was momentarily surprised to see the hint of a smile lingered on his rugged features. She felt that familiar ache in her chest she'd felt when reuniting with him in Bag End, and she smiled fondly at him, turning to resume her place near Bilbo.

The Halfling caught the fond smile on her lips and at seeing their Company leader's eyes fall on her retreating back, he felt a knowing smile tug at his lips as he looked away from the subliminal exchange that he should not have seen for the privacy of his companions' sakes.

"What're you smirking at?" Eäriel wondered as she gently poked his shoulder, pulling the shorter male from his thoughts.

Bilbo blinked and then coughed slightly, twiddling with his thumbs. "Ah-um, nothing! You and Fili danced well, is all…" He said, looking at his furry feet.

Raising a brow at his words, Eäriel's face softened and she nodded. "Thank you, Bilbo." She smiled and patted his shoulder before relaxing on her back with her arms folded behind her head, looking up at the brilliant stars above as she waited for her companions' quiet chattering and laughs to slowly die down, to let the quietness of the calm night settle on their campsite.

She would take night watch again once everyone was sleeping.

* * *

><p>The heavy downpour dug into her back, already dampening the thick green cloth of her hooded cloak she wore. Grumbling slightly, she wiped the rain from her face for what seemed the hundredth time within an hour.<p>

Their trek into the mountain's narrow and winding path that stretched on for miles had only just begun to be tiresome, and the sudden downpour and thunderstorm that growled in the dark skies above as well as howling winds that chilled her to the bone only served to make this one of the worst journeys she'd voluntarily been on. Balin had been at the helm of the group at the start, as Thorin had pointed out that he knew the mountain passes best out of any of them, and when the rain began, she had been required to see the rest of the way because her eyes were best.

She was cold and starting to grow weary of the weather's unfortunate condition… And by Mahal, she was going to maim Thorin for his half-brained idea!

A yelp sounded behind them, and she looked blearily to see Bilbo being pulled back onto the narrow ledge by two of the Dwarves at the back. Frowning, she looked at Thorin, "We need to get out of the rain, Thorin!" She yelled against the howling winds, her paler blue eyes meeting his darker blue in alarm and concern.

Nodding his chin at deeming she was correct, Thorin relayed the message to the others, making his voice heard against the snarling thunder and howling wind, "We need to find shelter!"

"**Look out**!" Dwalin bellowed against the noise, just in time for all eyes to behold a large boulder being chucked at the higher shelves of mountain above them, shattering the rock and sending dozens of broken shards of the darkened rock down onto the group so they had to hug the side of the mountain for dear life.

"This is no storm; it's a thunder battle! Look!" Balin cried from the rear of the group, pointing to the distance just as a hulking figure made of stone emerged into the rain-spattered night, just as a mighty groan came from a giant that came to life behind them, the first giant throwing another large boulder at the second giant.

"Bless me, the stories are true; **giants**! **Stone**-**giants**!" Bofur exclaimed in awe somewhere behind the She-Elf.

Eäriel yelped in surprise when Thorin grabbed her arm and pulled her down so she wasn't pelted with the shower of debris that came from the blow exchanged between the giants, and she reflexively ducked as his arm covered her hooded head. When the shower of stone ended, she met his eyes and she saw concern glint in his stormy stare; she smiled a little and nodded that she was alright, gingerly slipping from his grip and wiping the rain from her eyes.

Thorin smiled slightly and perked up as the rock beneath them started crumbling slightly, and he jerked his stare back to see it was happening to the rest of the path. "Hold on!" He shouted at the others, just as another giant slowly emerged from the mountainside they hugged, and to his horror he saw half of the Company be separated.

"Fili, Bilbo!" Eäriel cried, grabbing onto Thorin as he made to get to the princes, digging her hands into his shoulders as both watched the part of ledge that held the other half of their group moved in time with the giant, until the leg they were on slowly lurched forward to crash into the mountainside opposite them. "**NO**!" Both Dwarf and Elf shouted in chorus as the giant fell to the abysmal chasm below, the latter releasing the former as their clustered half scrambled to round the corner they'd seen the giant's leg hit to see if their companions had survived.

"Fili!" Thorin exclaimed before rounding the corner first, and his heart soared in relief as their group had survived after all. "Fili!" Kili shouted at seeing his brother, rushing to help him to his feet as Eäriel shook her head and moved forward to help some of the others to their feet before embracing both brothers tightly in relief. "Idiots, you scared me half to death!" She chided the princes as she squeezed on their necks gently.

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur asked suddenly as he had done a head-count, looking around, and Eäriel pulled free of the princes to also look.

To the She-Elf's surprise, she looked over the ledge to see said Halfling clinging desperately to the rock. "**Bilbo**!" She exclaimed, dropping and leaning over the ledge to grab for his arm, her slender fingers ensnaring in his coat sleeve; she started to pull him up when she felt herself slide forward, and she grunted in suppressed fear. "H-help!" She barked.

Bofur grabbed onto her quiver that was strapped to her chest by a thin belt, and with Thorin and Fili's help, the Elf and Hobbit were pulled onto the thicker path they stood on.

Eäriel shuddered at having only come inches from tumbling below the ledge into whatever death lay beneath the mountain, and she hugged the Hobbit tightly as he was also trembling, panting slightly.

"T-thank you, Eäriel!" Bilbo said as they pulled away, shaking his mop of wet hair slightly as he helped her to her feet.

Nodding, Eäriel smiled weakly. "Don't mention it…"

"We nearly lost our burglar, and our Elf!" Dwalin said in slight relief as he nodded to both members of the group.

"We **lost** the burglar, you mean!" Thorin snuffed, shooting a glare at Bilbo, angered that because of him they'd almost lost Eäriel, and he added, "He's been lost ever since he left home; he should never have come… He has no place amongst us." Thorin kept his glare on the still-shivering Halfling before turning away to continue.

"He's as vital to the Company as I am, Thorin." Eäriel pointed out at his back, and she met his sharp look with a slightly tired and exasperated one of her own. "Give it a rest for today… Please." She added the last word softly, knowing he could hear it even as the thunder had softened to low growls by this point.

Thorin held her stare in his and was rather surprised to see she was silently pleading with him to not start another battle like the one they'd narrowly escaped from. He looked away with a huff, yet she could swear she saw him nod his chin, and he led the way onward.

Eäriel smiled softly at his back and let the others go after him as she walked next to Bilbo to make sure neither of them slipped as they continued.

"You didn't need to do that, Eäriel…" Bilbo muttered at her side, perking her ears.

Eäriel looked at the Hobbit in surprise before she shook her head. "Someone had to; whether he believes it or not, you **do** have a place here with us, Bilbo Baggins." She looked at his brown eyes and smiled kindly. "**I** believe so, anyway."

Bilbo briefly envied the female's confidence that she had for him even when Thorin's words gnawed on his mind, he starting to actually believe the Dwarf-king, and he nodded. A small smile started to form on his face. "I'm glad you see that, then, Eäriel."

She nodded and gently tousled his hair before he shooed it off on instinct, making her chuckle. She looked at the helm of the group as Thorin asked Dwalin to inspect an opening that had been carved into the mountain, and she frowned softly when he gestured the others enter when Dwalin gave the '_OK_', following with Bilbo infront of her.

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf came; that was the plan." Balin said as he paused next to Thorin at the small cave's entrance, looking at his old friend.

"Plans change." Thorin replied, following after Eäriel entered last. He moved past her as Gloin readied to get a fire going and did a quick survey of everyone present, "No fires, not in this place; get some sleep. We start again at first light." He ordered as he looked at the others, their hopes of warming up after a rough evening distinguished at his words. "Bofur, you're on first watch." He added to the hat-wearing Dwarf.

Eäriel lingered by the opening of the cave and sat down against the cold stone wall at her back, slightly huddled with Hathelas in her slender hands' grasp.

"You should rest tonight, lass; been a long day." Bofur said as he saw she hadn't hunkered down with the Company, looking at the female.

"It's best to have two sets of eyes open in the Wild, especially in an unfamiliar cave." Eäriel shook her head, offering an assuring smile when Bofur frowned concernedly. "I'll be fine, Bofur, really." She added.

Thorin looked over at hearing her wise words, and he watched her head turn slightly to look out at the darkened world beyond the entrance of the cave. He sighed through his nostrils and turned to rest his head on his pack, knowing she made a point… Yet still, that was twice today she had defied him. Earlier when she defended the Hobbit, and just now as she sat awake with her sword in her hands.

He didn't understand her at least more than half of the time he had known her, yet she had somehow or another managed to slowly warm his heart.

Eäriel listened to the Dwarves doze and then succumbed to hearing their snores echoing in the cave, and she fought a smile of fondness; she could've stayed in Imladris, even gone back to the Woodland Realm, and yet here she sat, cold and weary, with a Company of Dwarves and lone Hobbit as her only family.

Family… Her eyes softened wistfully and she stared at the calmed night, a soft drizzle hitting the rocky surface of the mountains. It had been a long time since she had a family.

Her stay in Imladris had been a wonderful memory she wouldn't trade for the world, actually feeling like she belonged with Elrond's family, and her brief time in the Greenwood was just as lovely, yet as she thought back on all she had been through, she recognized she was no different than a vagabond.

Maybe that's what she was, maybe that was what Eru had planned for her long life… Still.

She looked at the Dwarves briefly, and her eyes warmed, before she looked at the darkness beyond her reach. Maybe the Dwarves were meant to be her family, despite their differences…

A rustling of clothes sounded from somewhere in the middle of the cave, then, pulling the female from her thoughts, and she looked into the cave as Bilbo's head of curly hair rose up, his bags packed and walking stick on hand. Her heart sank a degree as she recognized he meant to leave them, and as she listened to he and Bofur argue quietly, she let her eyes rest on Thorin who had been sleeping not far from where Bilbo had been, a disappointed frown on her lovely features as she watched guilt fill his blue eyes that were on the fleeing Halfling.

Sighing slightly, Bofur gave in, "No, you're right…" He looked at the other Dwarves and added wryly, "We don't belong anywhere." Meeting the guilty brown eyes of Bilbo, he smiled for him and patted his shoulder. "I wish you all the luck in the world." As the Halfling smiled weakly in return and started to leave, he noticed a blue glow coming from the sword at his hip. "What's that?" He asked, pulling the sword's owner's attention to the glow.

Eäriel's eyes sharpened in surprise at recognizing the blue glow that illuminated the cave, and she looked to see the floor was soon divided in half by a thin line that had been covered with sand. She jumped to her feet just as Thorin commanded everyone wake up, and she instinctively moved onto the wet path outside the cave when the flooring gave in beneath the weight of thirteen Dwarves and one Hobbit. "**No**!" She shouted as everyone was sent tumbling below, watching as the trap door closed on her as she made to step forward. She swore aloud and ran a hand through her hair, mentally kicking herself.

Why hadn't she thought of it before? Caves were seldom unoccupied, Thorin had said it himself! Why didn't she tell him to look for different lodgings?

"Valar's sake!" She hissed, returning Hathelas to its belt and shouldering her bow and quiver onto her back, looking out into the darkness. "Gandalf is _not_ going to be happy about this…" She grumbled.

A loud caw sounded as the raven flew back the way the Company had come, wings flapping as she went in search of the wizard.

* * *

><p>Hell had seemed to break loose around them as suddenly Thorin was thrown to the wooden flooring of the crude dais of the Goblin King, and he tried to fight off at least three goblins before said goblins scrambled back to pin him with snarls and wicked laughs.<p>

"**_Cut off his head_**_!_" The Great Goblin cried just as one goblin in particular raised a jagged dagger overhead of the Dwarf-king. "**THORIN**!" He heard his nephews cry out in unison even as the rest of the Company struggled and fought against the goblins reprimanding and beating at them.

An arrow pierced the goblin's forehead just then, surprising the pinned Dwarf and the other goblins holding him down.

"Get up!" A familiar feminine voice commanded as another arrow hit the goblin holding his right arm down, a voice Thorin was relieved to hear; he slammed his right fist into the second goblin's face, both feet kicking the third off as he scrambled to his feet.

"Eäriel…" Thorin turned at hearing her voice and was surprised when she tackled him as they hit the floor just in time for a blinding white light to illuminate the cave, blindsiding those who hadn't closed their eyes, knocking some of the stray goblins off the dais.

Eäriel the Wanderer shook her head and opened her eyes just in time to see Thorin also opening his eyes; blue met blue and she cracked a soft grin, relief in her paler gaze. "Sorry for being late." She surveyed the scratches and slight bruises he had on his face, elated that elsewise, he was safe. She stood as he also got to his feet, tossing him his sword from the near pile of weapons that had been confiscated, and he caught it expertly.

"Where'd you go…?" Thorin began to ask when noticing the others were rousing, the goblins as well, and he drew his sword as she did the same, "Never mind." The point was that she was alright, as much as he and his Company were, and for that he was satisfied.

Hathelas glowed a strange teal color as it was drawn from the brown scabbard at her hip, and she looked at Gandalf as he came forth from the smoke that came from his entrance.

"Take up arms, all of you… Fight. **FIGHT**!" Gandalf commanded the Dwarves just as the goblins fell on them, only to be sliced and beaten back by the Dwarves and lone She-Elf.

"He wields the Foe-Hammer; the Beater!" The Great Goblin cried fearfully from his throne chair, not missing the teal-colored blade of the female. "That Elven wench wields the Green-Dagger, the Slicer!" He added.

"Suitable nickname," Eäriel laughed under her breath, severing the head from one goblin that launched itself at her from the side, ripping through another three as they scrambled to get at Thorin as he blocked the Goblin's bone scepter from hitting him, the Dwarf-king sending him tumbling below the dais.

"This way, quickly!" Gandalf barked as he led the Company over a questionable bridge, yet they didn't take a second to rethink it as everyone scrambled after the Wizard's lead with the She-Elf closely at his heels.

It seemed to go on forever that they fought the goblins that tried to get at them; Eäriel had put Hathelas back into its scabbard and had her bow on hand with an arrow notched, only using her arrows when a goblin got too close for comfort to her or Gandalf, now and then making sure the Dwarves were following. Eäriel started to feel the familiar adrenaline that running seemed to ignite in her very bones, yet Gandalf's quick boulder constructed from the cliffside that served to pave a clear way for them to continue running sobered her right-quick.

The Company made to pass another long bridge when the Great Goblin burst from under the bridge on the safer end, forcing both Gandalf and Eäriel to stand back, and he grinned malevolently at the wizard. "What're you going to do now, Wizard?" He drawled.

Disgusted at being so close to the foul beast, Eäriel's arrow streaked forward to pierce the beast's heart, surprising him, before Gandalf sliced at his fat neck with Glamdring. To their surprise, the Great Goblin's body slumped down onto the bridge, and with a mighty groan, the wooden bridge collapsed beneath the excessive weight, tumbling below into the dark chasm. The Company yelled in fear as the bridge splintered at either end of the makeshift platform the further it went until breaking completely when they hit the bottom at last, landing in a jumbled mess of Dwarves and broken bridge.

"Well that could've been worse!" Bofur said from somewhere on the bottom of the pile… Before the Great Goblin's corpse fell ontop of them, earning a few rounds of curses and groans of pain.

"Valar's sake…" Eäriel growled as she was helped to her feet by Gandalf, who had managed to shimmy his way out of the rubble, dusting herself off before turning to help those she could out from the mess, finding Thorin after pulling out two of the Dwarves; she took his hand as he grabbed onto her wrist, and they both helped him up.

"G-Gandalf!" Kili's panicked yelp came then, and everyone looked where he was staring to see the rest of Goblin Town was descending on them angrily, if their screeches and cries of anguish were anything to go by.

"Move, all of you; we need to get out of the caves and into the sun!" Eäriel ordered as she grabbed Kili's scruff and helped him up as he was one of the last to get out, turning to follow Gandalf as he had thought of the same thing, leading the way once again down a path that seemed to not smell as foul as the rest of the chasm did.

* * *

><p>Eäriel had never been so glad to see the sun!<p>

She looked at the orange and pink sky of sunset and sighed in relief, hearing Gandalf doing a head-count of the Dwarves present, before being bombarded with a combined hug from the princes, and she laughed before hugging back tightly.

"We'd thought we wouldn't see you again!" Fili said as he smiled at the female, and Kili hugged her waist as he added, "We're glad you're alright, Eäri!"

Eyes softening, Eäriel chuckled and squeezed gently before letting the princes go. "I'm glad you're safe, all of you." She looked from them to the other Dwarves, saving Thorin's face for last, and she gave him a nod that he returned, a bemused look on his rugged features as he'd seen his nephews throw themselves at the Elf in relief.

"Bilbo… Where is Bilbo?" Gandalf asked as he looked around them at doing a second head-count, his voice raising as he asked again, "Where is our Hobbit!?"

Dwalin declared, "Curse the Halfling; now he's lost! I thought he was with Dori!" He said as he looked at said Dwarf accusingly, scowling.

"Don't blame me!" Dori barked.

"Where'd you last see him, then?" Eäriel asked as she looked around, frowning at the dreaded thought that perhaps the Hobbit had been stuck in the goblin tunnels, with the horde of livid goblins as his only company… She shuddered at the thought.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first cornered us…" Nori offered unsurely.

"Tell me!" Gandalf snapped in frustration.

Thorin's low voice spoke next, his tone curt, "I'll tell you what happened: Master Baggins saw his chance and took it!" He glared at the wizard, "He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since he first left home and stepped out the door; we will not be seeing our Hobbit again… he's long gone!"

"Enough, Thorin!" Eäriel snapped sharply, glaring at Thorin as his gaze jerked onto hers, her eyes piercing in her frustration with him. "You've had little faith in Bilbo since day one, Thorin… If he were the coward you deem him to be, he would've turned tail as soon as we faced those trolls! Whether you believe it or not, that Hobbit is as courageous as anyone here! …He's as important to this quest as I am." She stated tartly, keeping her eyes on his even as the others looked on in surprise at having their Elf sticking up for the missing Halfling.

Gandalf was the only one, it seemed, that smiled at the spectacle even as a tense silence settled between the Elf and Dwarf-king.

"He isn't gone, actually!" A familiar small voice declared before the head of curly brown hair that belonged to Bilbo Baggins appeared from behind a tree near Balin, the Halfling looking as tired and weary as everyone present looked.

"Bilbo!" Eäriel beamed in relief at the sight of their returned burglar.

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf laughed slightly in the same relief.

"We'd nearly given you up, Bilbo!" Kili agreed with a chuckle, grinning in awe. Fili chimed with his brother, "How'd you get past the goblins?"

"'_How_' indeed," Dwalin mused in surprise.

Both Wizard and Elf distinctly noticed the now-speechless Hobbit laugh nervously as he slipped something into his coat pocket; the latter's eyes tightened for one miniscule second before her gaze calmed.

"It doesn't matter, does it? He's back." Eäriel mused lightly, seeing the grateful smile from Bilbo and she smiled back, even if it only lasted a second.

Thorin scowled at her, "It matters!" He turned to the Hobbit as the elleth shot him a look, "I want to know… Why'd you come back?" He asked carefully, his attention focused on their burglar, blue meeting brown.

Bilbo stammered slightly as he now had the attention of the prospective king, inhaling before answering, "I know you've always doubted me, and you're right! I do think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong… that's home. And that's why I came back," rocking forward a bit on his feet, he momentarily thought of the Elf's story she had told that night in Rivendell and he spared a brief glance her way before looking at Thorin, "because you don't have one; a home. It was taken from you… But I will help you take it back, if I can."

A rather awe-filled silence befell the Dwarves; Eäriel smiled warmly at the Hobbit, and she looked at Thorin for his reaction.

He still held his stern face, but beneath the surface she could see their burglar's words had penetrated his heart, even just the slightest. She watched him glance at her when he felt she was staring and she could see he was struggling to swallow his pride and apologize. She shrugged slightly, silently stating that it was alright now, and she distinctly saw the right corner of his lip twitch upward as he broke stares to look away.

Ears twitching as she heard the dreaded sound of canine paws hitting the ground only hundreds of yards away from them on the top of the slope, Eäriel closed her eyes and groaned. "Not again…"

Thorin looked over at her when hearing her words, and was about to question her when a low baying howl cut into the twilit air around them, sounding close by. He swore under his breath. "Out of the fire…"

"And into the frying pan… Run. **RUN**!" Gandalf exclaimed as the Company didn't hesitate to book it for the thin forest of trees just short of their reach, looking over his shoulder as the Orc pack descended on the slope with their Wargs that led the charge.

Making sure the Dwarves were ahead of her as they continued downhill, Eäriel perked up as one reckless wolf-beast dove between the Hobbit and the tail of the Company. "Bilbo!" She drew Hathelas and flew to defend her friend when another Warg flew at her, and missed her head as she ducked and snarled as his jaws were for the female's smaller head. Eäriel stabbed into the beast's forehead swiftly, yanking her blade out and turning to the Hobbit, finding much to her surprise to see he had stabbed his smaller blade into the forehead as the beast now lay dead at his feet.

Bilbo Baggins had just slain a Warg… By Eru, she must've conked her head or something!

Smiling wryly at his accomplishment, Eäriel helped him pull his sword free of the dead beast's skull, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "A letter-opener couldn't do that, now could it?" She chuckled as Bilbo smiled at her words, and both Elf and Hobbit rushed to follow their friends into the safety of the trees just as the rest of the Wargs rushed forward.

Bilbo was thrown into one of the higher branches as Eäriel scrambled onto a branch just below his, blessedly avoiding the snapping jaws of the beasts below that snarled and gave baying noises to their masters, and as Eäriel glared from the wolf-like monsters to the Orcs that had followed their descent, her eyes sharpened alertly as she caught sight of a tall white Orc riding a scraggly white Warg that stood in the center of their hunting party. She gripped the hilt of Hathelas as the sword glowed that teal color, her jaw tensing at the familiar sight of the Gundabad Orc. "Look what the troll threw up." She growled lowly, and the Hobbit looked to see her eyes were a dangerous icy blue.

Thorin had also seen the familiar white Orc, and his blood ran cold in surprise mixed with anger. "Azog…" He breathed, brow furrowing into a glare full of hatred he held solely for the Gundabad filth that seemed to grin malevolently.

The giant Orc spoke in Black Speech, yet the Company could make out that his last three words were, "Thorin, son of Thráin."

"It cannot be…" Thorin said more to himself, slightly shaking his head even as Azog spoke to his comrades and gestured with his steel mace to the Dwarf-king.

The memory of the Battle of Azanulbizar came flooding back to the She-Elf at that moment, having only heard of the gruesome Azog long before that day, yet now that she looked at him and watched where his mace was pointed at, a slow rage began boiling in her veins, the urge to defend Thorin asserting itself to the fore… She gripped the tree's bark for dear life when it began shaking then, yanking her from her thoughts, and she looked below to see three Wargs were headbutting the tree to knock it down, and knock she and her friends to the ground in the process.

It wasn't just their tree though, as the Wargs were doing it to the other three trees around them as well, until the Dwarves, Hobbit and Elf scrambled to take refuge on the last tree on the edge of the cliff. Eäriel absolutely hated being cornered.

Bilbo extended his hand to the elleth so she could get onto his branch, and she took it, hoisting herself up so she stood with him. Eäriel nodded to her friend and perked up as a flaming pinecone was chucked below at the Wargs that circled their tree, hitting one in the muzzle as the beast yelped in pain and retreated.

"Fili!" Gandalf tossed another ember-encased pinecone down to the older prince, who in turn lit another two pinecones for Bilbo and Eäriel, all three of them throwing the flaming projectiles at the wolf-beasts, the Elf's in particular being thrown at the head of a Warg that yelped loudly in pain and scrambled away, the fire caused by the thrown pinecones burning brilliantly on the cliff, forming a firewall between the Company and Orc pack.

The group cheered at the small victory before giving a collective yell of fear when the tree creaked and made to tip over the edge, the trunk going flat on the ground with the uprooted roots sticking up.

Eäriel yelped in surprise when seeing Bilbo nearly fall below them when the tree shook, and she grabbed his scruff quickly, elated that he was smallest out of all of them, as she grunted and hoisted him onto the trunk she clung to.

Bilbo nodded slightly in thanks to being caught, perking up as he distinctly saw the familiar dark head of Thorin Oakenshield stand on the trunk only feet away; the burglar watched in complete surprise as Thorin slowly descended from the felled tree, drawing Orcrist in one hand and his oak branch in the other as he began running forward to meet Azog.

"No, Thorin!" Eäriel shouted, watching in horror as Azog charged forward, his Warg's paws knocking the Dwarf down as he then swung his mace at Thorin's chest, throwing him to the ground.

"**No**!" Balin cried.

Eäriel was frozen for a moment, one brief moment, as the white Warg's jaws clamped onto the side of Thorin, making the Dwarf cry out in pain, before he hit the beast's muzzle with his sword only to be released and tossed to the ground again. Angered tears stung at her eyes as Azog motioned one of the other Orcs take his head, and the Elf didn't see the Hobbit get to his feet near her, nor did she see him draw his sword.

The Orc raised his jagged blade to swing down on the Dwarf's neck just as a small head of brown hair crashed into the lesser ilk, knocking him away from the felled Thorin.

Bilbo's small sword stabbed into the Orc's chest, and he scrambled away from the dead filth to face Azog as he stood defensively infront of Thorin, brandishing his sword rather clumsily.

Azog commanded the Hobbit be killed just as a battle cry sounded and a blur of green and brown crashed into the white Orc's steed, sending both of them back.

Eäriel came into Thorin's blurring vision as she stood protectively infront of them both, the teal color of Hathelas shining brilliantly next to Bilbo's blue-glowing sword, and his vision blackened shortly after that.

Azog the Defiler snarled angrily at the Elven woman that glared at him with the utmost of hatred in her eyes, just before the rest of the Dwarves converged on the scene to aid their comrades.

Eäriel glowered at the white Gundabad Orc, spitting at the ground infront of his steed before charging forward; she swerved out of the way of his Warg's long fangs, her sword catching on his mace with a loud 'klang' that rang in her ears. She moved out of the way of his countering attack, resuming her place infront of Thorin, silently stating she would die before seeing her companion be killed.

Distinctly hearing the flapping of wings, Bilbo was surprised as a large brown eagle screeched and plucked the oncoming Warg that charged him and tossed the beast over the cliff, and he looked to see more eagles of the same size plucking Wargs and some of the straggler Orcs with their sharp talons. "Eäriel!" He shouted as an eagle dove to shove Azog and his steed far and away from the female, another eagle plucking the unconscious Thorin from the ground as the She-Elf hopped onto its back. Smiling in relief, Bilbo perked up as another eagle came in his direction, and he barely had time to ready himself before he was raised high; he looked around him as he saw the eagles were carrying their Company far and away from the cliff, Gandalf at the helm of the group as he led their retreat into the night.

* * *

><p>The overviewing cliff of Carrock was a welcoming sight, and with the day's yellow rising, the elleth felt relieved.<p>

"Thorin!" Gandalf declared when the eagle carrying both Elf and Dwarf-king descended to the cliff, his own eagle slowly descending for him to get off as the other eagles were depositing the remainder of the Company. The wizard brushed past them to see the She-Elf holding her friend's head in her lap, not caring how it looked to an outsider's eye, for her own eyes were darkened with worry for the Dwarf-king. Gandalf crouched at his side and gingerly placed a hand over his still face, murmuring in an unfamiliar tongue as his hand passed over the Dwarf's face.

Eäriel's eyes widened in surprise when Thorin's brow crinkled and his darker blue eyes opened slowly to see Gandalf first, and then look up at her own ice colored gaze. Her gaze warmed as his own seemed to soften.

"The Halfling?" Thorin asked quietly, slightly surprising both Elf and Wizard; the latter smiled elatedly as he answered, "He is alright; Bilbo is here." He noticed said Hobbit shuffle forward when being mentioned, seeming unsure and rather hesitant to approach the lucid Dwarf.

Thorin staggered to his feet, just as Dwalin and Kili moved to help him straighten; his stormy blue eyes locked onto Bilbo. "You… What were you doing? Nearly got yourself killed!" He stepped closer even as it was taxing for just a brief moment, and he kept his eyes on the Halfling, "Did I not say that you would be a burden, that you wouldn't survive in the Wild? …That you had no place amongst us." His stern face slowly faded to one of gratitude as he surprised everyone present by embracing the Hobbit, "I've never been so wrong, in all my life." He added.

The Company broke into laughs and cheers at the Halfling being fully recognized as a member of the group; Gandalf chuckled, sharing in the merriment; Eäriel grinned happily and she straightened to her feet.

"I'm sorry I doubted you." Thorin added quietly as they pulled apart.

Bilbo shook his head, "No, I would've doubted me, too; I'm not a hero, or a warrior… Not even a burglar." He said the last bit that earned a round of chuckles from the Dwarves.

Eäriel shook her head and watched the eagles take off, her eagle she'd ridden from the cliff giving her a chirp before he too took off after his kin; she waved after them, smiling softly. "Thank you." She murmured.

"And you, deserting us twice already!" Thorin turned to her, and she perked up when his eyes fell on her; he watched a guilty glaze pass over her ice blue stare, slightly stiffening as he added, "Making us worry that we'd never see hide or hair of you again… For wanting to keep the alliance between Elves and Dwarves, you've not been doing such a great job of it." He scolded.

"Thorin…" She began to say.

He cut in sharply "I will only admit once and only once… that you were right. I did not trust you when I should have. I apologize."

Eäriel gaped slightly, and for the first time since she'd met him, she saw a look somewhere between guilt and surrender brighten his blue gaze. Her eyes softened slowly and she nodded, smiling a fond smile. "Thank you… And I'll be sure not to do it again." She replied.

"It seems you're growing soft after all, Uncle!" Kili chuckled from the sidelines, to which the other Dwarves laughed quietly at.

Thorin glared at his nephews, distinctly seeing Eäriel's cheeks turn a shade of pink as she looked away, and he started to scold them before catching sight of a familiar sight in the distance.

"Is that what I think it is…?" Bilbo wondered quietly of the group at large as all eyes fell on the dark peak risen above the clouds that surrounded the lower half of the solitary peak.

"Erebor." Eäriel answered softly.

Gandalf nodded, "The Lonely Mountain; the last of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle-Earth."

Thorin smiled in spite of the events they'd survived, "Our home." He perked up then as the twittering sound of a bird came from the far left as a small bird flew past them towards the mountain in the distance.

"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain," Oín said in surprise.

"That, Master Oín, is a thrush." Eäriel answered calmly, smiling thoughtfully at the small bird that flew farther and farther away.

"We'll take it as a sign, anyway; a good omen." Thorin stated as he stood next to Bilbo, the smile still present.

Bilbo smiled as well and sighed, "You're right; I do believe the worst is behind us…" He mused.

Eäriel's smile slowly fell from her lips as she recognized the patch of wood that stood between them and the mountain. The last memory of when she'd been in the Greenwood flashed in her mind for a moment.  
><em><br>If only, if only_.

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><p><em>* <strong>1500<strong> **views**! wow thanks everyone~ i couldn't be happier, please keep it coming!_

_* **YES I FINISHED AUJ. AND NOW ON TO DOS!** get geared up ladies and gents, for there'll be some bitter reunions, barrel-riding, and every other possible thing to go on in the wide world of Middle-Earth. _


	7. Prologue II - Honeybees

They had been running for at least two days now. If it weren't for the Orc pack on their heels, she imagined they would've stopped just to take a breather even for a few minutes… but the Orcs weren't the only thing that was concerning.

At the Halfling's scouting report that there was a hulking bear-like beast only yards near their previous pit-stop, apparently also keeping watch over the Orcs that were two leagues away from the group, it only seemed to make even the slower members of the Company run faster to the supposed safe-house Gandalf said was not far from where they were.

Eäriel kept at the tail of the group to make sure everyone got past her safely, fighting a wince when hearing a loud roar cut through the small forest they'd just ran through, and she perked up as Bombur ran past her to the point of the group as they had entered the grassy front of what appeared to be large house. The Wanderer turned around for a moment just in time to see the beast Bilbo had described as it burst through the foliage of the wood's edge. "Beorn…?" She recalled hearing tales of the beast, the first time she had ventured to the Greenwood, most if not all of the tales she'd heard from Radaghast…

"Eäriel, come on!" Gandalf shouted when seeing they were missing the Elf, watching the bear charge towards them just as the female booked it after her companions into the hedge-lined yard, who had been trying to get the great latch on the doors to the house open.

"Get the latch open!" Eäriel declared just as Thorin shoved past the Dwarves in the way to do just that, the Company scrambling into the house just as the bear's jaws narrowly missed the edges of Eäriel's cloak as she was pulled into the house last by Dori. She drew away from the door as Fili, Kili, Dwalin and Thorin then managed to shut the doors on the snarling beast, sealing themselves in the house. Her eyes caught a glint of metal and she noticed Bilbo had drawn his sword; shoulders slightly shaking with exertion, the female shook her head. "Stand down, Bilbo; he's not going to come in." Not yet, she imagined.

The Dwarves that didn't hold their weight against the door looked at the female as if she'd grown two heads. "How d'you know that?" Gloin demanded cautiously, brow furrowing slightly.

"What is that?" Little Ori asked as he regained his breath from having run so long, looking at both Elf and Wizard.

"_That_ is our host." Gandalf answered, looking at the door as it shook slightly from the force hitting it on the opposite side. "His name is Beorn… And he's a Skin-Changer. Sometimes he's a huge black bear; other times he's a great, strong man." He said as he surveyed the animals that lived in the house, mostly cows and goats.

Eäriel approached a russet-furred cow standing in a nearby stall and gently patted her pink muzzle as she added, "The bear, I've heard, is unpredictable… But the man can be reasoned with." She looked at the Dwarves with a slight furrow of her brow as she finished, "He's not too fond of Dwarves, though."

"He's leaving…" Ori said as he had lingered by the door to see that the bear was leaving, only to be pulled back by Dori's grip on his arm.

Dori scolded him, "Come away from there; it's not natural, none of it!" He looked at the Elf as she seemed to know about their host as well as the Wizard, "He's obviously under some kind of dark spell!"

Eäriel shook her head as she looked at the door briefly. "Skin-Changers don't live under the curse of witchcraft, Master Dori; their kind _are_ rare, but they do not have this gift because of some wizard's wrath… They're blessed with it, in my opinion." A strange, thoughtful smile tugged at her lips as she left the cow to further explore the large house.

Thorin's eyes narrowed slightly at the strange smile on her lovely face, and he stepped away from the door to approach her. "How…"

"Eäriel is right, indeed! Now, I suggest you all get some sleep, for we'll be safe here tonight." Gandalf said as he smiled assuringly at the Dwarves and Hobbit, the skin under his left eye slightly twitching as he turned to look at the animals already residing in their stalls and murmured under his breath, "I hope."

* * *

><p>Even as everyone slept soundly around him, Thorin could not find much rest.<p>

The She-Elf's strange fondness for a creature she had only heard of still nagged at his conscious mind; he had decided to take a spot near her as she sat near a particular small stack of hay with her back to the stall of another cow. When he turned in his feigned sleep, his eyes still peering from under his lashes, he saw she still sat with her eyes closed, her sword propped against her left shoulder; knowing her, she never slept, as he imagined the one time she did was when they were in Rivendell only a month or so back. Some part of him admired and yet was miffed at the same time as she didn't get the rest she needed.

Even Elves needed sleep.

Eäriel listened to the snoring of her companions, the soft chittering of mice that moved here and there in the large home of the Skin-Changer, the occasional noise from one of the cows or goats that slumbered. She knew Thorin wasn't entirely asleep, and while she believed he stayed awake because of the question he had yet to ask since earlier, some small part of her wanted to believe he stayed awake to make sure she slept as well.  
><em><br>A noble king indeed_, she thought; her ears pricked as she heard heavy footfalls approaching the door from outside.

Thorin's eyes shot open just as Eäriel stiffened, and he thought to grab Orcrist when her slender hand shot out to gently force him back down. He looked sharply at the female as she opened an eye at him and silently sent the message that he should stay where he was, just as the door opened to allow the thin amount of moonlight to softly spill into the opening as a tall figure of a man entered the house.

Eäriel sat still as she silently noted the man's overall hairy features silhouetted by the moonlight, and his labored breathing as if he'd just run all of Middle-Earth; she stiffened and closed her eyes again as the man seemed to recognize his house wasn't empty... If the whiff of Dwarf was anything to go by.

"Why are there Dwarves in my house… sleeping beneath my roof?" Beorn the Skin-Changer rumbled lowly as he soon took note of at least several Dwarves sleeping soundly in his house, among the stalls where his animals slept. His dark piercing eyes rounded sharply on a figure that arose, the frame and slender build stating that the person was not only not a Dwarf, but also female.

"Our humblest of apologies, Master Beorn. We didn't mean to intrude, as we were looking for a place of refuge… And your house was the closest thing." Eäriel said as she turned in his direction and neared him with careful, light footsteps that didn't make a sound as her boots crushed the hay that littered the floor of the house. She met the Skin-Changer's eyes with all the seriousness of one seeking to negotiate peacefully.

The Skin-Changer held her calm stare that pierced into the darkness, and his brow tightened as he saw this woman clearly was not just an Elf… "You are most definitely not a Dwarf, She-Elf." He said in the same low voice.

The Wanderer smiled faintly in agreement. "Aye."

* * *

><p>After shooing the large bee from his face, Bilbo looked to see the spots where his companions had lain the night before were empty; shuffling to his feet, he pulled his coat on over his shoulders to follow the scents of breakfast that made his stomach grumble, and the calm chatter of the voices of the Dwarves that sat around the makeshift dining room near the kitchen.<p>

"You are the one they call Oakenshield, then," Beorn's low voice said as Bilbo moved to sit near Gandalf, the former pouring fresh cow's milk into the mug placed before Fili, his dark eyes on the blonde's uncle who leaned against a post nearby.

Thorin's brow twitched as he looked at the Skin-Changer, "How would _you_ know, exactly?" He returned gruffly.

"Your She-Elf explained your situation beforehand." The Skin-Changer replied, watching fifteen sets of eyes round on the female who was still picking at a roll of bread in her fingers.

Eäriel sighed at seeing the glint of anger in the Dwarf-king's gaze, pausing in taking a bite out of her bread. "Don't bite my head off." She said calmly, biting into the warm dough and chewing.

Thorin kept his scowl on her as he wondered aloud, "How much did she tell you…?"

"Enough to prove you are as good-hearted as she believes." Beorn stated in the same gruff voice, seeing the Dwarf-king's gaze jerk to his briefly before locking on the Elf again. "You should thank her, for if she hadn't spoken on your behalf, you lot would've been thrown out." He gave a small look at the female as she was suddenly interested with her now half-eaten bread. Looking at Thorin once more, he turned to the more pressing issue at hand and asked, "Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"

Thorin's brow furrowed a smidge, "You know of Azog?"

"My people were the first to live in the mountains before the Orcs came from the North. The Defiler killed most of my kin but enslaved some…" Bilbo's brown eyes noticed the shabby looking shackle on their host's wrist; Eäriel's jaw tensed slightly at the indicator, and she munched on the last bit of her bread. "Not for work, but for sport. Caging Skin-Changers and torturing them seemed to give him _amusement_." Beorn's eyes had darkened in some memory noone in the kitchen could reach, yet the lone female imagined she could grasp some of it.

"There are others like you?" The Halfling asked quietly, looking at the Skin-Changer.

Beorn looked away as he answered, "Once there were many…"

"And now?"

"…Now there is only one." Beorn said quietly, seeming to pull himself from his memories to look at the group, "Your She-Elf said you needed to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn."

Gandalf nodded, "Before Durin's Day falls, yes."

"You are running out of time." Beorn stated gravely.

"We'll go through the Greenwood." The men were rather surprised –save Beorn—when hearing the Elf speak up; she shared a look with the wizard, both of them nodding. "It's either run the long way around the forest and get cut down by Orcs or take the shorter route." Eäriel reasoned.

"A darkness lies upon that forest; fell things creep beneath those trees." The Skin-Changer returned gruffly, continuing, "There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and a Necromancer in Dol Goldur. I would not venture there unless in dire need."

"We will take the Elvenpath, then." Eäriel stated, quelling the surprise that threatened to show on her features, adding quietly, "I know the Elvenpath; it's the safest route through the wood… Through Mirkwood." She looked at her now-empty hands with a slightly tensed jaw.

Beorn almost snorted in disbelief, "_Clearly_ you have not visited that forest in years… There is nothing _safe_ about the wood, the Elvenpath least of all. The Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin; they're less _wise_, and more _dangerous_."

Eäriel closed her eyes and exhaled. "I'm sure my kin can be reasoned with… Noone in this Company ventured out their door blind to the dangers that the Wild has." Her heart sank at hearing the news regarding her home, and some small part of her wanted to seek the truth of it all. She knew things weren't as wondrous when she lived there as they had been while in Imladris, but still… She would not believe that the Greenwood was as corrupted as others said, _not_ before she saw it with her own eyes.

"It matters not, whether you are willing to die in disbelief of the reality… These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you're on foot; you will never reach the forest alive." Beorn pointed out, seeing the female's eyes crack open as he straightened from having sat up from his chair nearby, approaching the table, "I don't like Dwarves: they're _greedy_, and _blind_… blind to lives they deem lesser than their own." He said this as he reached to lift a small mouse that had been crawling on the tabletop, gingerly letting the small creature crawl on his large hand; his eyes fell on Thorin as he added, "But I hate Orcs _more_. And I admire _her_ courage." He nodded slightly at the female who had been feeding another mouse the crumbs of her bread, and she smiled at the small being. "Because of that, I will allow your group to rest up here for another few days." He said, seeing the Dwarves, lone Wizard and Hobbit give a relieved sigh they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

The elleth let the mouse in her hand crawl up onto her shoulder, and she reached with her other arm to gingerly stroke his soft fur, listening idly as Beorn gave them access to the nearby stream to wash up, and explore the stretch of land he had. She smiled again, even as she extended it to the small rodent on her shoulder.

* * *

><p>Sighing in relief at finally being clean from all the dirt and light scratches she had obtained only a few days ago, the Elf ran a loose hand through her drying brown hair as she backtracked to where the Dwarves were from the small secluded pond not far off from the stream where the otherwise-men were. She came to a halt when seeing most if not all of the Dwarves wore nothing; blinking once, she then shook her head and turned to retreat to the house.<p>

"Oi, Eäriel!" Kili called.

"Where're you goin', lass?" Fili chimed.

She froze in place when hearing the familiar cheery voices, and turned, dreading the worst, yet was relieved when Fili and Kili came closer to her blessedly dressed in their trousers. The She-Elf internally sighed and thanked Eru, smiling at the princes. "I didn't want to disturb your fun, so I was going to go back to the house." She replied, absently shifting the belt of her sword on her left shoulder.

"Like you'd ruin anything! 'Sides, we were just going to head back anyway," Kili said chirpily, smiling knowingly at their friend.

"You don't need to go just because of me, Kili…" Eäriel assured, smiling back.

"She's right, you don't need to go." All three of them looked to see Thorin present, his eyes on the female and a pointed look haunted his face. "Eäriel and I need to discuss something anyway." He added, as both Fili and Kili spared the Elf a look when her smile faltered before they returned to the stream, the latter prince glancing back at her with slight concern in his brown eyes before looking forward.

Eäriel exhaled softly and looked at the Dwarf-king even as he stood like his nephews, in just his trousers, and she crossed her arms at her chest. "Yes?" She knew he was going to interrogate her at some point, and then with his bad timing… She held his blue eyes with her own blue stare.

Thorin motioned they move a bit of a ways away from the stream, near a tree. "I do not know whether your gesture of speaking on our behalf to Beorn was reckless or kind, first off. But whatever you told him, it worked, and for that I'm sure we all are grateful. I know now that you are most definitely not like your kin… I doubt any of them would risk their lives and go through the hellfire you have been through." He said this, and she raised a brow in surprise as a look of understanding crossed his rugged features.

Eäriel smiled softly and nodded, sighing. "I would almost consider that a compliment, dear King, if you weren't in just your _trousers_." She replied, seeing him raise a brow before he saw the truth of her words; she laughed a little at distinctly seeing his ears turn red and she smirked, shaking her head as she started to leave him. "If that's all you wished to say, you know where to find me…"

"What you said about Skin-Changers, and their ability being a gift. What did you mean exactly?" Thorin asked just as she was about to turn, and he watched her freeze slightly in place before she slowly looked at him. He arched a thick brow at her, blue eyes inquisitive.

Eäriel gave a quiet sigh; _well, best he know now_, she thought. "I… I may relate more to Beorn than you've seen. I don't really know how I obtained the ability, but it's one thing I haven't shown to anyone in years; Gandalf knows about it, yet I didn't think to tell you much about it. You didn't ask, really…" She chuckled slightly.

"What is it, Eäriel?" He sighed through his nostrils in slight exasperation, scowling pointedly at her when her weak smile faltered.

Standing fully infront of him, the Wanderer sighed through her nostrils as her shape changed before his very eyes into that of a sleek gray wolf that stared up at the shocked Dwarf through a pair of brilliant blue eyes.

Thorin tensed slightly where he stood as the she-wolf tilted her head curiously, her blue orbs showing confusion, before her shape changed back into that of the Elf he had befriended, her blue eyes turning icy as her mane of brown hair fell down her back to her waist in wavy tresses. "What… How are you able to do that?" He asked once he could find his voice, earning an inquisitive brow to raise.

Eäriel smiled sadly, reminiscent of that last night he had questioned her in Rivendell, and she raised a hand to fiddle with a loose lock of her brown hair. "If I knew, I would tell you. Lord Elrond once said something about my mum being a great-niece of one of the Edain, as she wasn't fully Elvish blood either. Noone knows where the shapeshifting gene comes from, it seems… I wouldn't change shape unless I felt like it, or if it was necessary." She answered thoughtfully.

"And your father, he wasn't of muddled blood, I suppose?" Thorin asked with curiosity, yet it was sobered just a little as he recognized that he had to trust her once again, for he knew she was going to be leading them through the Elvenpath within another day or so.

"Nope; _Ada_ was pure-blooded… But he wasn't like the other Elves. Elrond would often tell me that he was strong and fierce in battle, but warm and compassionate, and held high respect for Dwarves, surprisingly enough. Suppose it runs in the family." Eäriel shrugged, and when she smiled, it was a fond smile the Dwarf would admit was a better sight than her frowns or glares.

Thorin snuffed softly, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he took in all she said, nodding. "You will lead us through the Elvenpath, when we reach the wood." He didn't question it, as he knew she would without a doubt do that for them, for him.

Nodding in return, Eäriel cracked a small smile. "Aye, I will." She turned to leave again before adding, "Thank you, Thorin."

"For what?" Thorin raised a brow again.

"For trusting me." Eäriel answered softly, continuing to retreat to the house, and leave her companion in the sunlight.

* * *

><p><em>* yes Eäriel maintained her shapeshifting ability, though she is technically <strong>18th shapeshifter** as she doesn't choose to exhibit that extra power so easily as i've written about in the past version of this story, just a small note. aand yes some more Eäriel/ Thorin moments because they're cute. i know Eäriel comes off as too honest to Thorin, but it's either have them both be completely bullheaded or have one side try and get the other side to understand that they're not as different as one side believes them to be. y'know? _

_* i'm excited for the next two chapters are going to revolve around the goings-on in Mirkwood! ahah yes there will bitter reunions between Elves and revelations for one Elf in particular.. am i going to tell you just who the lucky Elf is? nooope i'm generous but i'm no saint! lol anyway, stay tuned. (:_


	8. Something Rotten in Mirkwood, ptI

**_Mirkwood Arc: 1/2_**

* * *

><p>Thorin brought his pony to a halt just short of the two horses that had been borrowed by Gandalf and Eäriel, his brow furrowing slightly at the edge of Mirkwood that stood before them.<p>

Eäriel was the first to dismount, nearly jumping off her horse's back, releasing his reins to slowly approach the tree-line, her piercing eyes looking from the darkness that lay just beyond the break in the trees to the red hue the leaves of the trees had. Something clenched in her gut as she let her eyes rest on the sight before her, and it made the small hopeful part of her conscious grieve for the Greenwood's sickness.

Gandalf placed an assuring hand on her shoulder, feeling her stiffen slightly before she looked at him and he could see the darkness of Mirkwood had caused a sadness to enter her piercing eyes.

Eäriel gave a weary sigh that sounded strangled towards the end, and she perked her ears as she felt she was being watched; she looked over her shoulder at the hilltops in the distance and recognized the hulking bear's large form watching over them. She nodded her chin slightly as Gandalf also noticed him. "I don't hear anything coming." She notified the Company, turning to them and smiling assuringly.

"We have luck on our side, then!" Dwalin commented, earning a few nods of elation from the others.

Thorin also smiled slightly at that, looking at their guide and catching the sad glint that darkened her eyes; his lips twitched into a frown.

"Set the ponies loose; let them return to their owner." Gandalf declared, and he stepped closer to the tree-line as the others turned to do as such.

"This forest feels… sick. As if a disease is afflicting it." Bilbo commented as he had gotten his bags onto his shoulders and neared the Elf, frowning as well at the sight of the sickened trees.

Eäriel sighed. "It was beautiful once, long ago. The brilliant light of the sun even touched the edges of the wood. It was thriving, and alive…" She trailed off as her brow furrowed into a sad frown, almost as if she mourned for the change in her old home. "Now, it looks half-dead… I do not recognize my home now, Bilbo." She whispered, and the Hobbit winced slightly at hearing the sad tone filling her calm voice.

"Not my horse; I need it!" Gandalf declared just then, as he returned from surveying the trees to find Nori readying to set his horse free, striding past the Elf and Hobbit to remount the steed.

Eäriel looked at the Wizard in surprise, "You're not joining us?" She asked.

Gandalf paused to hoist himself into the saddle to look back at the Company, namely the lone Elf, "I would not leave unless I had to; you know this forest as well, Eäriel, so it shouldn't be difficult." He looked to the group as a whole and added, "Trust in Eäriel, all of you, and stay on the Elvenpath! I will wait for you at the overlook before the steps of Erebor; keep the key and map safe, and do not enter that mountain without me." He then hoisted himself into the horse's saddle, making the steed whinny slightly as he took off and a light rain began.

Feeling fourteen sets of eyes rest on her, the Elf sighed and shouldered her bag and bow. "This isn't the Greenwood of old, keep that in mind, gentlemen; the air is thick with some form of illusion, and will lead you astray if you're not careful. C'mon," she silently gulped as she started into the forest's first line of trees, approaching the arched gate that was carved into the shape of a set of ivory antlers.

Bilbo fell back to walking near Fili and Kili as Thorin took his place behind Eäriel, as he could imagine he wasn't the only one concerned for their guide and what lay deep in the forest of Mirkwood.

* * *

><p>It was four days… She wanted to believe that it was four days, leastways. Four days they had been walking in the forest.<p>

The first two nights hadn't been bad, as she'd had a feeling their presence wasn't completely known by whatever beasts had migrated into her old home, and they could rest even for an hour or two, as the sleeping schedule was hastened as soon as she awoke or whoever had been taking night watch awoke everyone else. The third night was when it was beginning to go downhill.

Stopping to sleep and make camp on the third night hadn't proven well for any of them; if it wasn't the sudden sensation that they were being watched from the darkness beyond their small camp then it was the bloody moths that were bigger than an eagle as they had dove onto the fire as the light attracted them. With Thorin's command for them to douse the flames for fear of attracting more beasts, the Company went to bed hungry and cold. She did not get much sleep that night, as she had taken night watch with an arrow notched in her bow for precaution.

The fourth day they ate little and kept walking through the night, knowing noone in the group wished to be greeted by the moths again if they stopped to light a fire.

Eäriel finished tying her hair back into a high tail with a stray hair-tie she'd kept in her left gauntlet, sighing through her nostrils as she kept at the helm of the Company; the incessant prickly feeling that they were being watched had made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end for the last two days. Of course she had yet to tell Thorin or the others about this, as she knew their nerves were harried enough as is. She had taken to keeping her right hand on the handle of her long knife strapped to her belt, though, just in case whatever was watching them from afar would get too close for their comfort.

She surveyed the darkness around them, even as it was the middle of the day, ears pricked for the slightest noise that was foreign to what she was accustomed to hearing; the quiet chatter going off and on between the men, their heavier footsteps keeping after her lead as she walked along the Elvenpath's flat cobblestone trails. Now and then she would hear a twig break, as if something big stepped on it, the noise sounding loud in her sensitive ears; but she ignored it, keeping the majority of her attention focused on getting the Company through Mirkwood as best she could.

Though with little sleep and the nagging sensation that there was always someone or something watching them from afar, and even closer at night it seemed, she was beginning to get grouchy.

Valar's sake, she was actually beginning to hate this place.

"The Elvenpath wasn't this difficult sixty years ago…" Eäriel groused as she brushed aside more dead leaves from the flat cobblestones leading west, her words not going unnoticed by the Dwarf-king walking behind her.

Thorin had also been keeping on alert ever since the night with the moths (as she had figured) and once or twice reaching for Orcrist strapped to his back when seeing their guide tense for a brief moment. The more he noticed, the more he recognized her calm mood was turning irritable. So he only snuffed slightly at her words, "Things change within sixty years' time. I imagine this place was a lot brighter in better days." He mused.

"It was, before the fell things from Dol Goldur ruined it, poisoning the bloody land with the ilk of that Necromancer. Yet I cannot help but feel that there's something worse about the state of the Greenwood…"

"Which is?"

"It hasn't been taken care of, not in the slightest; I imagine the heart of the wood is a different case entirely, as that's where the Woodland Realm lies, yet the miles of forest past the borders of the kingdom have been left to rot." Scowling at the reality of things, Eäriel huffed. "Lord Thranduil should know better." She said bitterly.

Thorin quieted slightly, knowing she had not once said she agreed with the Elvenking on much, when she had lived in the Woodland Realm; odd as it was, she seemed to believe that he was no king she would swear loyalty to.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder, just _who_ did she swear loyalty to? It wasn't as if he was a candidate for her loyalty, in his opinion; sixty years he knew her, which was not even a blink in the life of an Elf, yet she seemed to feel she could trust him, and only pray he would come to understand her.

Eäriel certainly was an odd Elf.

Feeling the familiar tug to go down one direction, the Elf continued on her way, with the Dwarves and Hobbit at her tail. She hated feeling grouchy, especially so when she had something important to keep her complete and utter attention on, and especially when she had not had much sleep since over a week. She had only slept soundly the last night in Beorn's house, and that was the last time she had slept properly.

She now understood why most of the Dwarves had had odd dreams the second and last night they'd slept, for she could swear by the Eldar that the eyes that were watching them from afar felt dark, menacing… close.

Thorin noticed her fingers had tightened their grip on her knife's handle, and he looked to one side and then the other, not entirely feeling the same as she was; he frowned at the Elf's slowly-blossoming paranoia. "Eäriel." He began.

"What?" Eäriel asked tartly, glancing from one side to the other as she tried to fight off the paranoia settling on her, blue eyes piercing.

"I will lead us from here." He met her sharp look with a stern scowl. "You've done enough for now, walk in the back with Bilbo." He continued when she made to open her mouth.

She almost stopped walking, her gaze hardening, "I'm _perfectly_ _fine_, Thorin…"

"Eäriel, **go**." He ordered in a clipped tone, watching her eyes flash with some measure of hurt in those pale blue orbs.

Eäriel snorted, a trait she had learned from being amongst the Dwarves as long as she had, and stormed past him, clipping his shoulder as she went to take a spot by Bilbo.

"What was that for?" Fili dared wonder at seeing the near-visible smoke coming from the irritated elleth, looking at his uncle.

"Even Elves need a break." Thorin stated calmly, ignoring the surprised look he earned from the older Dwarves, as he gestured they continue along the path.

Kili shared a look with Fili before the princes reluctantly kept their place in line, knowing that questioning an irritable Elf would only lead to a row… or worse.

Bilbo frowned as well at the irritable female, distinctly hearing her grumbling in Elvish: judging by the death glare she was giving Thorin, he had a feeling the words weren't… flattering.

* * *

><p>By the Valar, she was going to kill him… if her jumbled nerves and sleepiness didn't get in the bloody way.<p>

"We found the bridge!" Bofur notified as he, Bilbo and Ori had come across a thick-stoned bridge connecting one end of the wood to the other. The trio's elated expressions faltered when seeing the bridge's state.

"There was no bridge on the path, last I recall…" Eäriel said as she angled her way to where the trio were, her voice trailing off as she looked at the bridge that was missing most if not all of the middle part.

"Didn't you hear before? This forest is riddled with dark magic; the waters are enchanted!" Thorin rumbled as he had come forward too, looking at the trio with a dark scowl.

"Gandalf said it, and I did as well: _stay on the Elvenpath_. Didn't _you_ hear that, Thorin?" Eäriel scolded, shooting him a sharp scowl.

"Don't you _dare_ patronize me; you've been on edge since two days ago!" Thorin snarled back, glowering at her.

Her lip curled slightly in her icy glare before she looked at the bridge again, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The Elvenpath _doesn't cross a bridge_; it didn't sixty years ago, so I don't see why that should change _now_…" She sighed steadily.

"You've been _absent_ for sixty years, if you recall! Either help us find the accursed path or shut it." He growled angrily.

Eäriel glowered at him with daggers in her eyes and turned away with a soft snarled curse, storming to look for another way around the river, hoping that the bridge wasn't their only bet… She was starting to really hate this forest. Finding a thin path of thick vines that were entwined and seemed to lead to the opposite side of the river, she gave a weary sigh. "Found another way!" She said, not looking back as the Dwarves and Bilbo jogged over to where she'd found the alternate route.

"Good eye, lass," Bofur said with a slight smile, quieting when Thorin came forward to examine the vines.

"We'll send the lightest…" Thorin declared as all eyes fell on the lone Hobbit; he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and perked up as the Elf moved away. "What're you doing…?" He started to ask when her shape changed into that of a raven and the female flew across the way, seeming to startle the others.

Landing lightly on the other side, Eäriel looked at the group and gave a nod. "C'mon," she urged.

Gulping, Bilbo began crossing through the network of thick vines; he slipped at least twice, although he managed to get to the other side safely with a quick grab of his coat scruff from the Elf's hand, and she let him land on his own feet on the stone bank.

"S-something's not right… Not right, at all…!" Bilbo panted slightly as he tried to get the wind back in his lungs and his head to stop spinning, looking at his friend as she was looking elsewhere, one of her long knives held fast in her right hand. Shaking his head, the Hobbit turned to advise the Dwarves, "Stay where you are… oh." He quieted at seeing the thirteen Dwarves had already started climbing after him, some if not most of them being jumbled in the vines and amongst each other.

"Valar's sake…" Eäriel had noticed the sight when hearing the warning from the Halfling, and she returned the knife to its sheath before slapping her forehead. "I'm beginning to wonder who's more pig-headed around here." She grumbled aloud as her hand slid down her face.

Both Elf and Hobbit snapped to when Thorin made it across the vines safely, landing near the former. The Dwarf-king looked to the far left as he heard movement in the dead brush, his dark eyes beholding an ethereal-looking white stag with ivory antlers, its dark eyes fixed on the trio.

Bilbo gaped slightly at the beautiful creature, perking up just then as time slowed around him, watching Thorin slowly raise his bow with an arrow notched, aimed for the stag; the mythical-esque creature's nostrils flared. "What're you doing…?" Bilbo asked slowly, just before the arrow was fired.

"**No**!" The curved blade of her knife swiftly cut the arrow in half, making the projectile drop only yards away from them, just as the stag bolted into the darkness.

Thorin began to demand why she had done that when she whacked his head sharply, and he winced at the sharpness of the back of her hand. His eyes were dangerous as he nearly bellowed at her, "**_What in Durin's name was that for!? You don't know what you've done!_**"

"Is **_nothing_** sacred to you!? Killing a white stag is _bad luck_, you blockheaded Dwarf!" Eäriel shouted, her face livid, as she gave him an equally dangerous glare.

"Thanks to **_you_**, we're going to starve when we _could've_ eaten that bloody stag!" Thorin snarled, and he saw a glint of hurt shine in her eyes once again before she turned away with shaking fists to scout the abysmal surroundings, a snarled curse in Elvish escaping from between her gritted teeth as she went.

Bilbo still stared at where the stag had been, a frown on his face, as he commented. "You shouldn't have done that… S' bad luck."

Thorin snorted in disbelief and growled out, "I don't believe in luck; we make our own luck!"

Eäriel was furious and she had just about enough of that blasted Dwarf's dense head as she had resumed walking at the back of the line with a rather glum Bilbo, distinctly feeling as if the malice and poison that had consumed the neglected Mirkwood was gnawing at the recesses of her mind, and she let these revelations calm her angered state until just her hands were slightly shaking with mild irritation. Giving a slow and quiet exhale, she perked up when running into Oín's back, looking past him to see everyone else was stopped. Now what? Unless Thorin wanted to kill another mythical creature, which wouldn't have surprised her…

"Nori, why've we stopped?" Thorin demanded as he made his way to the front where the strange-haired Dwarf was leading, looking at him sharply.

Pointing at the leaf-covered ground before him, Nori answered unsurely, "The path's disappeared…"

Eäriel pinched the bridge of her nose, listening as the Dwarves soon became lost in a jumbled mess of wonderings on which way to go, most if not all of what they said was that the Company had lost their way. "Valar's sake…" She grumbled.

"We're not lost! We keep heading East." Thorin's commanding voice snapped, earning her attention.

"Which way is East?" Dori demanded.

"We've lost the sun!" Bofur exclaimed.

The sun… Eäriel looked up at the treetops above as she thought of something. Sunlight… They hadn't felt sunlight in days… She set her bag down, her quiver, bow, sword, and blades on her person as she turned to the tree next to her and began climbing upward, knowing the men wouldn't miss her; they were barely trying to figure which way was left and which was right, anyway. The Elf climbed as high as she could, a warmth filling her as it rose from the bottoms of her nimble feet to the top of her head when seeing the familiar red coloration of the leaves, the bleak sunlight streaming and hitting the tops of the treetops.

Surfacing from amidst the leaves, Eäriel gave a great gasp of fresh air she hadn't believed she had missed. She opened her eyes to take in the beautiful sunset before her, the great orb making the sky bleed scarlet and pink as the light made the leaves around her look just as bright like fire, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Never in her long life did she miss the sun as much as she did now!

"Eäriel? Is that you?" She perked up as the leaves rustled before her and Bilbo's head poked out from the leaves, and he also looked at the sunset with relief and some amount of awe. The Elf beamed even as their movement caused a small flock of blue-winged butterflies to take to the air as a soft breeze blew past them, making both friends give a laugh as they soaked in the warm sunlight.

"It's beautiful, the sun…" Bilbo said quietly as they stood there for another minute that might as well have been an hour.

Eäriel smiled warmly and inhaled the fresh air once more, exhaling softly through her nostrils. "You take it for granted for so long until you're without its warm light…" She mused in the same quiet tone, closing her eyes as another breeze tugged at loose strands of her high tail, playing with the bit of fringe framing her lovely face.

"There's a lake ahead, look!" Bilbo said as he just now noticed the body of water at the end of the lone river, his voice raising as he called to the Dwarves below them, "And a river… The Lonely Mountain! We're almost there!"

Eäriel raised a brow when she heard no response, and frowned. "I don't hear anything… I'll go down."

"No, let me! Thorin's still cross with you from earlier, I imagine." Bilbo declared, seeing the flash of worry in her eyes before he put on an assuring smile.

Exhaling, she nodded in compliance. "Be careful, Bilbo."

He nodded back before diving below the trees' red leaves, and she listened as he rustled more during his descent.

Smiling a little at the Halfling's willing heart, the elleth looked at the river that deposited into the lake only miles away from them, and she recognized the lake to be Esgaroth. "Laketown… And then Dale, and… Erebor." She whispered to the trees, sighing softly as she deemed his words correct. "Gandalf, I hope you're there." She mused.

The cracking of branches and movement only a hundred or so yards away in the trees jerked the female from her thoughts, and her eyes squinted as she saw the movement was getting closer to her. She hopped into the air to take the form of a thrush, wings softly flapping as she watched through the small bird eyes as the beings that were crashing through the canopies soon stopped their crashing as they dropped into the wood below.

She had heard Radaghast mention –well okay, she overheard—tell Gandalf all those weeks ago about giant spiders having invaded Mirkwood, spawn of Ungoliant… The thrush's wings flapped in her silent anger towards the unwelcomed squatters.

How dare they invade the Greenwood!

The bird zipped closer to where the suspected spiders had left a break in the canopy, stopping short of the gap with her wings softly flapping, her sharp eyes peering into the darkness beneath as she heard the clacking and clicking of the overgrown arachnids as they moved. Finding a safer treetop to perch on, the Elf shifted back just as her sharp ears soon heard the distant thuds of bodies falling.

The Company was freed, no doubt… She supposed Bilbo had gotten to them in time.

Giving a brief inhale, the Elf leaped down into the darkened gap in the trees. She avoided the sticky white webs as best as she could as she descended further, sliding and dropping nimbly onto the branches that supported her weight. She neared the forest floor just short of another three branches when a hulking spider screeched as it surprised her; with a snarl, her Elvish sword was drawn instantly as it stabbed into the beast's eight-eyed head, making it cry out in pain before dying from her sharp blow.

Twisting the blade viciously, she rode the dead arachnid's body as it tumbled below.

* * *

><p>"Eäriel!"<p>

"Where is that Elf?"

A loud 'thud' sounded as thirteen sets of eyes zipped to see a streak of blonde riding the massive body of another spider that crashed to the flooring of the forest, the lanky blonde figure easily recognized as an Elf, as the loner cut down another arachnid that had launched itself at the group.

Another arrow was notched in his bow as the blonde Elf skidded to a perfect halt infront of the Dwarves, the pointed tip of the projectile aimed at the forehead of the dark-haired Dwarf. "Don't think I won't kill you, Dwarf; it'd be my pleasure." The blonde stated smoothly, his tone cold.

A flash of green came from the left as it punted the blonde away, and Thorin was standing behind the thin frame of their Elf, her own bow drawn as an arrow was aimed at their attacker. "Try pointing that at him again and you won't be so lucky." Eäriel the Wanderer growled frostily.

Straightening quickly, Legolas Greenleaf began to aim at the strange Elf when he soon recognized the striking blue eyes the color of ice, the mane of brown hair drawn into a high tail… "_Eäriel?_" He spoke in surprise.

Her eyes widened as she lowered her bow a smidge, "_Legolas!_"

"**What're you doing here**?" Both Elves asked each other simultaneously.

* * *

><p><em>* finally got through the first part of my Mirkwood arc, hope i didn't disappoint! (:<em>

_* yeah more angst buut what can you do? lol_


	9. Something Rotten in Mirkwood, ptII

**_Mirkwood Arc: 2/2_**

* * *

><p>Thorin was, to sum it up, confused. First they had lost sight of their Elf, and then they'd been caught by spiders and nearly eaten when Bilbo had saved them, and now <em>their<em> Elf knew this blonde pointy-ear? "You **know** him?" He bit out behind her, earning a glance from her as the blonde's eyes tightened at his intrusion.

Eäriel sighed quietly, "Yes. He's an old friend…. The Prince of the Woodland Realm." She answered; she'd hoped beyond hope that they wouldn't cross paths with her friend and his father, yet it seemed Eru had other plans for her immortal life.

"_You're with __them__?_" Legolas demanded quietly in Sindarin, perking her ears.

"_You know I left sixty years ago, this is where I ended up_." Eäriel answered knowingly in the same tongue, scowling at her friend's blue eyes that were as piercing as her own.

"_My Lord Legolas!_" Both Elves perked up as the rest of his hunting party came forth to surround the Dwarves, an arrow notched in their respective bows.

"Just lovely…" Eäriel hissed under her breath in common tongue as she heard the Dwarves behind her raise their weapons defensively, glaring from the other Elves to Legolas as defiance screamed in her eyes.

A cry sounded just then, making all heads turn to see a straggler spider was trying to drag a struggling Kili away.

"**Kili**!" His brother exclaimed, making to move and help him before the Company's Elf fired her arrow at the spider's large head, leaving the younger prince to scramble away only to be surrounded by some of the Elves.

"Kili!" Eäriel barked, looking at the flash of fear in his eyes before she rounded on the head of their hunting party. "Legolas, please!" She declared, blue locking on blue as a silent plea for him to spare the younger Dwarf was in her narrowed stare.

Legolas glared slightly at the pleading elleth, looking at the other Elves and demanding they search the Dwarves, just as a streak of red hair dropped down near him to help confiscate the weapons of their new prisoners.

"_My Lord, it seems we've found something interesting on one of the Dwarves_." One of the other Elves said as he neared the blonde and presented him with Orcrist.

Taking the blade carefully into his hands, Legolas admired it for a moment, "_This is an ancient blade, forged by my kin_." He lowered the blade and aimed it at Thorin, "Where did you get this?" He demanded coldly.

"It was a gift." Thorin spat.

Blue eyes flashing, Legolas huffed, "Not just a thief, but a liar as well!"

"_He isn't lying, Legolas_." Eäriel growled out in Sindarin as she glared at him before turning her glare to the redhead female collecting her knives and daggers. "Suppose this is how you greet everyone who returns to the Woodland Realm, isn't it, Tauriel?" She drawled bitterly, yanking the strap of her quiver over her shoulders and thrusting it into the elleth's grasp.

Tauriel gave her an equally hard frown, somehow feeling like she was turning her back on the brunette elleth. "Noone expected you to return; the death count at Azanulbizar was too many for us to even think you'd survived." She answered sharply, her honey brown eyes holding the other female's icy blue as she took the belt of her sword lastly.

"_Bind their wrists_," Legolas ordered in their tongue as the other Elves soon put shackles on the Dwarves' forearms, and the second female noticed she hadn't been bound. "_Eäriel, you are a prisoner, henceforth, but you should know just where you're headed_…" He began to point out.

"If they are to be prisoners, then I will be as well, Legolas." Eäriel stated defiantly, glaring at her old friend with some measure of hurt and bitterness in her piercing gaze, and she extended her wrists to him.

Tauriel frowned with a measure of sadness in her gaze before she moved away to hand off the Elf's weapons to another of the hunting party, starting to escort the Dwarves in the direction of the Woodland Realm.

Legolas' scowl tightened at seeing she had sealed her fate, and he wordlessly bound her wrists in the iron shackles, not ushering her as the Wanderer proudly walked after the last Dwarf, which happened to be the one he'd first threatened. His eyes narrowed in frustration and slight confliction.

Yes, that was Eäriel, indeed.

* * *

><p>The trek back to the inner recesses of the Woodland Realm was filled with tense silence.<p>

Legolas kept an eye on his old friend, now and then recognizing the stiffened jaw and the brooding scowl set on her brow. He felt a faint rueful smile form at the bitter circumstances of their reunion; to think Eäriel, once selfish, fierce and brash, a polar opposite of how normal female elves were thought to be, was now thoughtful, protective and peace-keeping… and also among a company of greedy and foolhardy _Dwarves_, no less.

Eäriel had even defended them, namely the dark-haired Dwarf whose sword he had confiscated only hours ago, with a fierce passion he had not seen before! She had been bound in shackles just like the Dwarves had, with her chin up and a hard and cold fire burning in her eyes when their gazes had met.

Her earlier statement had left a bitter taste in his mouth at seeing she had sealed her fate in that instance, and he had complied out of some measure of respect for the female.

She was his friend, and she was a warrior at heart… Yet she knew what his father would say when he saw she had returned to the Woodland Realm.

The Dwarves lesser than the dark-haired one that was their leader gave a great protest when they were separated from him.

"_Not her_." Legolas clipped to the guard in Sindarin, who began leading the female after the Dwarves to the prison, earning a slightly surprised look from the guard; the female's face was void of emotion, her eyes cast down as she knew what he was implying even with the two-syllable command. He sent the guard off to see to the prison cells as he looked at the brunette female and nodded his chin to the throne where his father sat, gesturing she follow as he led the Dwarf forward.

She frowned softly and trailed after both males, hating the cold fist-like clench she felt in the pit of her stomach.

This was turning out to be such a _lovely_ reunion after all…

Thorin glared emotionlessly at the Elvenking seated on his throne chair at the top of the ornately-carved stone dais, noting the blonde Elf had earned a few gray hairs in his thick brows, yet his pale blue eyes held all the warmth of the coldest winter in their gaze that pierced his own, and that of the She-Elf at his side. He risked a glance at her and saw she stared right back at the Elvenking with equally piercing blue eyes, defiance radiating her lovely features as it brightened her cold stare.

The Dwarf-king fought a true smile from showing on his bearded face at seeing he did not stand alone against the King of the Woodland Realm.

"It has felt like centuries since I have seen that cold fire in your eyes, Eäriel the Wanderer. It saddened Legolas to see you did not return after that squabble in Moria, though. I must admit that I'm surprised you crawled back here with your tail between your legs… As you did one thousand years ago." Thranduil drawled coolly as he straightened slightly in his chair when recognizing the slightly dirty face of the brunette elleth.

Eäriel let a cold smirk grace her features. "Sorry to disappoint you. As to the state we came here in, I had not hoped to cross paths with my kin in the forest, least of all as my Company and I were passing through, minding our own bloody business…" She returned.

"_'Your Company'?_ Don't tell me you actually _befriended_ these greedy creatures, **_that one_** in particular! You've gone blind in the time you've spent away from home, my dear confused girl." Thranduil's eyes flashed momentarily when seeing she had chosen her alliance with his enemy.

Eäriel's chest puffed out in indignation as she spat between her teeth, "_Do not_ speak of _my friends_ in that way." Her blue eyes were aflame with silent anger as the memory of the last time she had had an audience with the Elvenking flashed in her mind.

"Then _do not_ address _your king_ with _such_ an unkind tone." Thranduil clipped.

Thorin slightly started when hearing a barked laugh come from his companion, and when he looked at her again, all he saw was seething rage and disgust.

"_'King'_? You are _not_ my king… I would not bow to you, a bloody coward of a hollow-shelled, pointy-eared _wanker_ that **_you_** are, Elvenking." Eäriel continued when she saw her words had hit a nerve beneath his cool façade, and she added with her confidence stabbing through every word, "The only king I will swear my loyalty to is the _kind-hearted_ and _noble_ **_Dwarf_**, **Thorin, son of Thráin**!" She said proudly.

The other Elves watching the scene were shocked by the brunette's words; Legolas was just as surprised, looking at his old friend with disbelief.

"Your misguided loyalty will cost you, as living with Dwarves has clearly addled your brain. Take her away!" Thranduil commanded sharply, and Legolas was the first to hop into action.

Eäriel spat at the floor before his throne chair before she was led away; Thorin watched her go and was surprised to see her eyes were on him, sincerity glimmering in her pale blue stare, and she almost smiled before looking forward as the Elf Prince ushered her to the cells.

"_You didn't have to say that_." Legolas declared softly in their tongue as they walked, his grip still fast on the chain connecting the shackles on her wrists.

Eäriel rolled her eyes, "_Someone had to, so why not me? It's not like the Dwarves and I belong here, anyway_…" She replied in the same tone.

"_You_**_ do _**_belong here_." He all-but-growled in stubbornness, and she stopped walking closer to the cell block she was to occupy to look at him sharply, his equally-piercing eyes glaring at her as his jaw was locked in frustration with her. "_You are not a Dwarf, you're an __**Elf**__! You're a skilled warrior, compassionate, and confident… And my friend_." He added the last three words on a strangely tender note, one she hadn't heard in over fifty years.

"_Legolas_…" Her eyes saddened and, for a moment, she wanted to embrace her old friend, as she would do when he wasn't in the best of moods long ago, but when hearing the monologue his father was delivering to Thorin on the throne's dais above, she closed her eyes and looked away. "_I did not mean to return, not like this. Not when I have something important I must do. I'm sorry, _Mellonin." She whispered, and continued to the cell that was empty, preferably reserved for her.

He watched her walk away, a bitterness gnawing at his mind as he saw her back seemed smaller with the distance between them. Sighing through his nostrils, the blonde trailed after her leave, opening the cell door as she walked inside. "Eäriel." He declared, lingering infront of the iron bars of her cell, looking at her back she kept to the door.

"Hm?"

"_What is so important that you're torturing yourself like this?_" Legolas asked softly.

Turning her head slightly, Eäriel answered, "_I made a promise to an exiled king, and I would rather die than fail him… I would not see the Line of Durin fall_."

Throwing a scowl at the dais above, the blonde Elf finally left her be, mulling over her foolhardy words as he went.

Eäriel gave a soft sigh as she sat down against the oddly-angled stone wall on her left, knees brought to her chest, as she closed her eyes, her mind swimming with confused emotions.

"Eäri?" A quiet voice filled with concern spoke from the cell across from hers.

"Yes, Kili?" She exhaled.

"Thanks for saving me, earlier." The younger heir said, cracking a small smile at the brunette elleth.

She smiled weakly back at him, looking at the bars of her cell and letting the smile fall.

"That Elf, he didn't hurt you, did he?" The equally-concerned voice of Bofur said somewhere near her cell, perking her ears.

"No, Bofur, I'm fine. Thanks for that." Legolas wouldn't hurt her; for reasons she knew not of, though she used to blame it on his chivalry.

A rustling of clothes and boots hitting the stone floor of the cell block perked her ears again before the door opened. She looked up in surprise to see Thorin was shoved into her cell, watching the guard close the door and lock it tight before leaving them be.

"He offered you a deal?" Balin asked in a cell near theirs, hopefulness in his voice.

Thorin huffed, "He did, and I told him he could," his next choice words in Khuzdul earned a few smirks from the other Dwarves, as he added louder, "**Him and all his kin**!"

"A deal was our only hope, then." Balin sighed as he slumped against the wall of his cell.

"Not our only hope." Thorin muttered as he looked out at the stone walls surrounding the cells with a spark of hope in his eyes.

"Your words were lovelier than mine." Eäriel said wryly and he looked at her when seeing he wasn't alone in his cell, and she offered a smile of truce.

Shoulders slumping slightly, Thorin felt his own wry smile tug at his lips when seeing her present. "You're not hurt." He asked, blue eyes silently surveying her thin form with some rips and smudges of dirt and grime on her clothes, her hands just as dirty and some dirt on her cheeks and chin.

Eäriel shook her head, smiling faintly at her friend. "I'm alright… The boys were almost as worried about that as you are, really." She looked out at the stone walls around them, giving a soft sigh. "I'm sorry we ended up here; I didn't want this to happen, in fact I'd hoped we would be able to completely avoid the Woodland Realm. It's my fault we're in this godsforsaken place."

"It's not your fault; it was because of us that we came here." He remarked stubbornly, perking her ears and she looked at him in surprise; he stole a glance at the cold stone beyond their cell's bars and huffed as he added rather proudly, "Never in my life would I believe I'd see an Elf defend my honor to a king whose rule she once lived under. Either you have a death wish or your honesty is endearing." He sat down across from her, seeing the surprise brighten her pale blue eyes.

She reflexively rubbed her arm, looking at the narrow rip in the fabric of her left pant leg as she felt her ears and cheeks burn with a shade of pink. "I meant what I said. All of it… I know you've doubted where my loyalty stood, in the past. But, well… Now you know." She looked up at his blue eyes with a small grin forming on her lovely features, her own blue eyes strangely soft.

Thorin snorted in amusement, smirking, inwardly relieved to see the brightness in her eyes that had shown when she'd told off that pointy-eared king had yet to leave her. "Good… The more I think on it, I believe your insults were sharper than mine."

Eäriel laughed quietly, her grin exchanged for a fond smile, and she shifted her feet slightly on the stone floor as she could swear he also chuckled, even if it was brief. She was glad for that, however small it was.

* * *

><p>Thorin awoke to see his cellmate was pacing; rubbing sleep out of his eyes, his low voice that still carried the grogginess of a sleep he had deserved and greatly needed, made her aware that he was awake as he asked, "What're you doing?"<p>

Eäriel didn't spare him a look as she walked to one side and then the other with her arms folded at her chest and a concentrated frown on her lovely face. "We don't have long until Durin's Day falls, so it's only fair we start thinking of a plan to get out of here." She answered quietly, her voice distant as she was wrapped up in her thoughts.

The Dwarf-king sat up more from his spot, rubbing his stiff neck with a hand. "You heard Balin, these bars aren't so easily broken. Not even _Dwalin_ could bust through them." He said, distinctly hearing a miffed grunt from a cell near theirs that most likely housed said Dwarf warrior.

"You don't have to _break_ them, you just need to be thin enough to get _through_ them…" The Wanderer trailed off as she recognized the solution in her own musings; beaming, she snapped her fingers. "That's it!"

"What is, per se…?" Thorin stifled a yawn, straightening in his seat as he stretched his legs, and when her head turned in his direction with her ice blue eyes sparkling with that brightness he had been glad to see the other day, he quieted as it dawned on him. A smile slowly spread on his bearded face, and the Dwarf nodded his head.

Eäriel nodded back, looking out at the cell block before adding, her accent still strange as she spoke in Khuzdul, her calm voice soft so only he could hear, "_During the Feast of Starlight. Everyone is distracted with the festivities at that time… I will sneak the keys, get my weapons, and we're gone. All of us_." She held his blue eyes with a determined fire that made her pale eyes brighten, even in the dim light of their cell.

"_Together_." Thorin couldn't fight the smirk from crossing his features.

"_Together_." Eäriel smiled in affirmation.

It was another few hours later –or was it days? She didn't really know, now… when she heard the soft tinkling chimes of laughter from above, as she was seated closer to the cell door. A wistful smile tugged at her lips as she closed her eyes, almost envisioning the fun she and Legolas would have during past _Melith en Gilith_ occasions… She gave a quiet sigh. Elves seemed to be the only race on Middle-Earth that gave praise to the stars, yet even as she gave her respects to the burning lights dotting the night skies, she had always felt more easement towards the things of the earth, animals and trees and flowers… She had come to the Woodland Realm because of that, if she were to be honest; her late parents' lineage that traced from there had some measure of cause for her actions, though.

It seemed living amongst her kin had felt as nothing more than a dream, a briefly wonderful dream…

Something small and red rolled into the cell just then as it bumped the right side of her boot, pulling her from her thoughts as she lifted the item and was surprised to see it was an apple, as red and ripe as she'd ever seen; smiling slightly, she looked at the door to see a familiar redhead elleth stood by the door with an apple on hand.

"It's not much, but still…" Tauriel mused quietly, as she had snuck the apples from the kitchen and had prayed to the Eldar that she hadn't been spotted; she knew Legolas was still rather moody since he'd left the brunette elleth in her cell two days ago, and knowing the prince wouldn't dare visit the cells lest he let his emotions get the best of him… here she was.

Eäriel looked at her friend and sighed through her nostrils, sparing the other female a grateful look. "You know Lord Stuffiness won't agree if he sees you down here." She reminded softly, reaching into the inner folds of her right boot as she found what she was looking for, withdrawing a small knife that easily fit into her palm.

Tauriel shot a reproving look at her friend when seeing the knife, taking a bite out of her apple. "I see Legolas didn't search _everywhere_ when he took your weapons." She muttered around the sweet fruit.

Thorin caught the second half of the apple from his cellmate, eating wordlessly even as he could clearly see his younger nephew perk up in his cell across the way from theirs; he rolled his eyes at Kili's apparent attraction to the redhead She-Elf.

"How's he doing?" Eäriel murmured before she took a bite of her apple half, her empty stomach grateful for the fresh fruit she was giving it.

"Moody, as he was when you left. Also after the… argument, he and Lord Thranduil had the other day." Tauriel replied in the same soft tone, perking her ears.

"About what?" The brunette female couldn't help but ask, raising a brow.

"Lord Thranduil originally intended for your imprisonment to last for another thousand years, compared to the Dwarves' century-long imprisonment…" The redhead paused for a moment when hearing a choked growl come from her friend at the news, before she continued in the same soft voice, "But Legolas requested he lessen it, as he believes you're not entirely in your right frame of mind… And also because of his friendship with you." She added the last part with a rather thoughtful tone.

Eäriel quieted when hearing this, and Thorin saw her face sadden slightly, before she asked, "What was the outcome?" She knew Thranduil was stone-cold in his decisions, even if they were decisions she or his son didn't fully agree with, so the idea of staying and rotting in prison for the next thousand years only fueled her urge to get her Company and she out of the cells and as far down the Anduin River as possible.

"Your imprisonment will only be for five hundred years. Obviously he felt like humoring Legolas with that… For what reason, I do not know." Tauriel replied quietly.

Nodding as she absorbed the news and felt it was rather bittersweet, Eäriel smiled at her friend. "Thank you, Tauriel, for being kind to your prisoners." She said warmly.

Straightening from having leaned her hip against the wall, Tauriel looked at the smile on the brunette's face and the raised brow expression the Dwarf-king sent at his cellmate, and she smiled back. "Even if you're a prisoner here, you are still one of us, Eäriel. Noone here who respected you before you left would think to respect you any less, now." She gave a slight nod to the dark-haired Dwarf before walking away, her lighter footsteps fading in no time.

Sitting back against the wall, Eäriel looked at the crumbs of her apple and sighed heavily. Five hundred years… No, she wouldn't waste away even for one more week. She wouldn't dream of it!

"Thorin."

"Hm?"

"Tonight we leave."

* * *

><p><em>* i rly don't want to leave you guys on a cliffhanger buuut i've got to run an errand; silver lining?<strong> chapter nine is in the works<strong>! (: so far i like how it's coming along. _

_* and yes, Eäriel's reunion with the Woodland Elves has somewhat left her conflicted on her emotions, but then she recognizes that she still has a duty to fulfill to Thorin. _


	10. Barrel-Riding Into Misery

Thorin watched as the redhead came again, though she had stopped by Kili's cell when seeing he was playing with something small in his hands; his eyes squinted slightly at recognizing the elleth had decided to humor his nephew, idly listening as the two talked quietly about the talisman in his possession.

Eäriel also watched, yet her reasons were different than his; she made sure Tauriel's attention was completely drawn to Kili, somehow feeling sorry for what she was going to do, yet the need to escape outweighed the guilt. She looked at her cellmate and when his eyes met hers, she nodded her chin in the direction of the cell door, silently telling him it was time for her to move.

Thorin nodded, and was surprised when her slender hand gently gripped his stubbier hand; smiling rather thoughtfully, he squeezed, watching her slip free to give the redhead another look before her form shifted into that of a small brown mouse. He watched as she scurried out of the cell and past the bars with success, and his slight anxiety that she wouldn't make it soon disappeared from the pit of his stomach. _She can do this_, he thought, ambling to sit in the back of the cell so as not to be seen suspicious by their keeper.  
><em><br>She can do this… She has to_.

* * *

><p>The mouse had already made her way down two flights of stairs, descending to the third stairwell as her large ears made sure she wasn't seen by the Elves; Eru must've been shining on her as she realized the halls were vacant of life. Good call on choosing <em>Melith en Gilith<em> as a time to flee, she deemed. The armory was on the third floor and just another two floors lower was the cellars; she knew one of the lesser guards was in charge of the keys, so she decided to go for the more difficult task.

Get the keys.

Once again she went by unnoticed, and once again she had to believe the Elves were up on the higher floors celebrating the Feast of Starlight, scurrying down to the first floor below the armory, pausing to sniff the air and keep her ears pricked as she had done since leaving the cell. No movement, no scent; the mouse scurried down the steps to the second and last floor where the cellars were.

Some, if not most of the lesser Elves, didn't have much tolerance for too much wine.

The mouse could now hear the snoring of the Elves in the cellar that had apparently drunk too much, making sure she wasn't spotted as her form shifted into a silver fox, the small silver canine padding softly on the stone floor and looking at where the keys were to be put… Only to see them being lifted in mid-air. The fox quickly hopped up to grab the large ring that kept the keys together, surprised when whatever magic was holding the ring pulled back on it, only to leave the canine dangling in mid-air by her jaws' grip on the ring.

"Eäriel, it's me!" A familiar small voice hissed from infront of her, and a light tug on the ring in her grip further pointed out that the voice belonged to their burglar.

Releasing the key ring, the fox dropped to take form into the Wanderer. "Bilbo, am I glad you're here… Where the devil have you been?" She whispered just as she glanced back to see the other two Elves were still asleep, much to her relief.

"Long story, I'll explain later… For now, I'll get the others loose; you get your weapons!" The invisible Hobbit replied in the same hushed tone, and she watched the key ring disappear as he seemed to head up the stairs out of the cellar to free the Dwarves.

Eäriel looked at the sleeping Elves and smirked privately at the stroke of luck, making sure her footsteps weren't heard as she followed Bilbo's trail. She stopped walking to plant her back against the wall on her right, listening intently for any noises or sounds of footsteps approaching; exhaling, she sank to the floor just as her form changed again into a mouse and she scurried the rest of the way along the third floor to the armory.

A pair of piercing blue eyes had seen the mouse scurrying as fast as its little paws could go to the armory, and the Elf noted the prisoners' cells had been oddly quiet tonight… Brow furrowing, he descended the stairs from the fifth floor and made his way to the armory.

The Wanderer smiled triumphantly when finding her knives and daggers, having shifted back and was now tucking the daggers back in place in her gauntlets, strapping the belt of her long knives at her waist. She found her bow having been hidden behind another few spare bows in a large barrel, shrugging it over her shoulder and was surprised to see her quiver also tucked into the barrel. Making sure the strap was secure as she fastened it across her chest, she would've been able to book it for the cellars when a familiar blonde prince stood in the doorway of the armory, halting her steps.

Blue met blue.

"Legolas." She tensed when seeing the hard scowl darkening his handsome features, and she would've grabbed her sword when she recognized her sword was not with her; her eyes briefly darted down at her waist to see Hathelas was missing.

"It doesn't surprise me to find you here; what _does_ puzzle me, however, is that you thought you could sneak away into the night with those Dwarves." He said with some measure of hurt and frustration in his voice, and while he stood taller than her, some part of him was surprised that she stood her ground with her feet planted firmly in the stone floor, chin slightly tilted up as her blue eyes dared him to step closer. "You don't belong with them, Eäriel… Your home is here, with Elves, not with those Dwarves. I would not see you throw your life away for a misguided belief that you owe your loyalty and services to Thorin Oakenshield." He stated sharply, allowing a tense silence to slowly take place between them, as his subconscious hoped to Eru that she would stay and see sense.

"You sound like him… Like your father." She said softly, her tone brittle, as her words lashed out at him with a fierceness as if she'd attacked with her knives; she watched his eyes flash in further anger and she balled her hands into fists as she asked slowly, "The Legolas I knew was kind and thoughtful, a noble prince I would happily serve the rest of my days because I knew he would be greater than his father ever was… Are you not the same Legolas I embraced sixty years ago?" She lifted her head slightly so her eyes beheld his, and for a moment he saw that his interference in her actions was hurting her.

Legolas stared at her as he recognized that familiar spark she had shown the day she'd left his home, their home, the compassion she held for those lesser than her, the aching need to not waste her life watching the world darken when she could very well do something about it… "You're forgetting this." He murmured, throwing her off for a moment, before he presented the familiar brown scabbard and belt attached to Hathelas as it was in his hands.

"Legolas." Eäriel whispered in surprise and confusion, looking at him again and she internally winced when seeing his gaze was darkened as she could practically see the war going on inside his head. "Why…?"

"If you plan to escape, do it. Take it and go, before I change my mind, Eäriel." He said tartly, thrusting the sword into her hands that reflexively grabbed onto the belt and scabbard.

Nodding slightly, she held his gaze for one second longer before brushing past him to run for the cellars, fastening the belt of her sword at her hip. "Thank you, _Mellonin_."

* * *

><p>A whistle sounded just as Bilbo was making sure the Dwarves, who had been piled into a set of fourteen barrels, were dropped into the stream below the cellar. The Halfling looked in surprise as their Elf neared him, and he barely had time to greet her as she grabbed his waist with an arm and slid down into the stream, narrowly avoiding being spotted by the guards in the cellar as the trap-door closed shut on their leave.<p>

Eäriel gave a sharp gasp as she and Bilbo resurfaced, letting him get out of her hold as she shook her head of water, hearing a cheer from some of the Dwarves when seeing she had rejoined them.

Thorin didn't fight the grin spreading on his face, relieved to see the female was with them once more, watching her hoist Bilbo into a barrel with Kili in it as she waded to cling to his own. "Took you long enough." He said as she wiped the water from her face again.

Rolling her eyes, she grinned back when noticing his relieved smile, "Let's get moving, then, if you've got time to scold me," she teased, changing into the form of a silver fox to better fit with the Dwarf-king as they led the Company down the stream.

The Dwarf-king felt the fox's claws slightly dig into his shoulderblades when their barrel cluster was greeted with the brilliant warmth of the sun, signaling dawn had come. His blue eyes surveyed the guards posted at the bridge only yards infront of them and his heart sank when the familiar Elvish horn went off behind them, and he rowed faster just as the grate dividing one side of the river from the other was slowly closing. "**No**!" He exclaimed, his barrel reaching the alcove first as he slammed his shoulder against it, the slight '_thud_' of the others' barrels bumping his own coming from behind and around as Dwalin came to help him open the grate.

The fox had heard the familiar sounds of a skirmish going on above them; before the Dwarves knew it, the canine was hopping from one Dwarf's head to the other before diving into the river only to scramble onto shore.

"**Eäriel**!" Bilbo declared in surprise when seeing a familiar head of brown hair advance on the scene on shore, making those of the group who weren't in the alcove look at their Elf.

Eäriel severed the head of a gruesome-faced Orc cleanly with Hathelas, ducking as another Orc snarled and flew at her from the woods on her right, only to be stabbed in the chest with her sword as the stained blade glowed teal. Yanking her blade free, she rushed to the lever that would open the grate, perking up as two more Orcs launched themselves at her from the other side of the bridge.

A head of dark hair hurtled into the smaller Orc, snagging the beast's weapon from his grasp and stabbing into his chest. Kili huffed as Eäriel cut the head off the taller Orc, grinning wryly at his friend. "You've taken too many liberties today, Eäri." He jibed, earning a playful grin from the Elf, and they both dodged as another Orc launched himself at them.

"Kili, the lever! I've got this," Eäriel grunted as she rammed Hathelas' blade into the foul beast's sternum, yanking it free as the beast fell at her feet, and she perked up and tilted her head to the right to dodge an arrow that whizzed past her right ear, watching in surprise when the arrow pierced the younger Dwarf's right calf. "**_Kili_**_!_" She shouted, a dagger in her left hand as she turned and threw it so the blade pierced the skull of the Orc who'd shot the prince, hurrying to the prince's side as he gave a strangled cry of pain.

"Eäri… the lever!" Kili managed, gripping his wounded leg tightly, watching her move from his line of sight before a metallic groan came from the grate; his eyes widened as he saw another two Orcs snarl and rush his felled form.

"**_Kili_**_!_" Fili cried from the stream as his barrel was taken with the now-moving current.

An arrow pierced the two Orcs' heads from the wood, and the younger prince looked in that direction in alarm as he saw a flash of red hair. "Tauriel?"

"Kili!" Eäriel ripped the head off another Orc with her sword, reaching his side and sheathing her sword before she hoisted him onto her shoulder, wincing at recognizing he was indeed heavier than Bilbo, and ignoring his groan of pain as she rushed onto the bridge. "Hang on!" She advised just as she jumped over the edge into the cold waters, sending them both underwater.

* * *

><p>"Can you see anythin'?"<p>

"No, I think we lost them!"

"We've lost the current, too! C'mon, we'll land here!" Thorin reasoned as he steered his barrel to a clear and rocky part of the riverbank, stumbling out of the wooden container with a slight sigh of relief.

"Thorin!" Bilbo called, making the Dwarf-king turn around and feel relief wash over him as he recognized the head of brown hair and blue eyes of the Elf as she waded towards the shore from the shallower end of the river, cradling a wounded Kili in her arms.

"Eäriel!" Fili hurried to take his brother from her grasp as the She-Elf sank to her hands and knees when touching the rocky riverbank, panting and shaking her head of water, shivering from the cold, as both princes looked at her concernedly.

"T-thank you, Eäriel…" Kili stammered as he was also cold, letting Fili help him limp away to further inspect his injury.

Bilbo came to the female's side and offered a hand of help when she looked at him and recognized his furry feet; the Elf smiled warmly at his offer and took his hand, letting him help her up. "You're not hurt too, are you?" He wondered as she released his hand to wipe locks of wet brown hair from her view, and he took a step back when she shook her head of water again.

Eäriel tossed her mane of hair back and an amused look crossed her features when seeing him wrinkle his nose on reflex at her gesture, "Those pieces of filth couldn't touch me if they tried… Thank you for helping get the others free, back in the palace." She smiled and placed a fist on her hip, the amusement still in place. "But, you _will_ tell me about your magic trick, someday." She added matter-of-factly, throwing a glance at the others before winking at the Halfling.

Bilbo winced slightly at her reminder, giving a weary sigh and nodding. "Deal."

Eäriel trodded away to look at the way they'd come, the stilled river that the Orcs were following to where their Company was; she pinched the bridge of her nose with a soft groan. "Not even beyond the borders of the wood and those filth had to find us…" She murmured, turning to go inspect the wounded prince, frowning when he was still nursing the injury. Shaking her head, she pulled her quiver off her shoulders and found the small pouch on the back of the container, opening it to find she had kept her spare roll of bandages there for safe-keeping.

Fili looked up in slight surprise when Eäriel handed him the roll of bandages, straightening slightly as the elleth crouched at his brother's side. "Eäriel, what're you doing?" He asked in slight confusion, noting Kili had the same question on his stubble-ridden face as he looked at her from sitting on the stones.

"The arrow's going to need to be pulled out, otherwise your injury will be worse than it already is. This is going to hurt, so try and bear with it, 'kay, Kili?" Eäriel answered, looking at her friend with concern and some amount of confidence that he would withstand what she was going to need to do to help him.

Nodding slightly, Kili cracked a slight smile, "You didn't forget how to mend injuries, Eäri." His brown eyes met her blue and she smiled gently before her eyes dropped to the arrow still stuck in his leg. He bit the inside of his cheek as she grasped onto the arrow's shaft, closing his eyes as she also inhaled, mirroring her gesture.

Eäriel yanked the arrow out swiftly, hearing her patient bite back a hiss of pain. She took the roll of bandages from Fili to begin wrapping the injury quickly, making sure her binding wasn't too tight as she ripped the unneeded bit off to tie his bindings under his thigh. "Better?" She breathed, looking at the hints of pain in his brown eyes with some concern.

Kili gave a relieved sigh and nodded again, "A bit." He smiled wryly and she smiled back, watching her straighten to her feet.

"Thanks, Eäriel. For everything." Fili smiled gratefully at their friend, earning a gentle smile from her as she patted his shoulder before returning to where she'd left her quiver.

Bilbo raised a brow when seeing Thorin had been observing the Elf's actions not far from where his nephews were, and he was reminded of that peaceful evening where she and Fili had danced in the light of the fire, as Thorin had that same look on his face.

Mentally shaking his head, the Hobbit wondered once again if he wasn't witnessing a miracle occurring between a Dwarf and an Elf.

"…There's an Orc pack on our tail; we keep going." Thorin's voice pulled the Hobbit from his musings, and he noticed the slightly saddened light in the Elf's eyes as she looked back at the direction they'd come for what seemed the third time.

Balin asked for the sake of the Company, "to where?"

"The mountain; we're close." Bilbo offered an answer.

"Esgaroth and the lake surrounding it stands in the way, and we've no means to get across." Eäriel pointed out as she looked at the men from having been trying to wring out her hair, straightening and wiping still-damp locks from her face. "We go around it and we're only going to die before we reach Erebor because of those fell beasts on our tail." She added with a bite to her tone, crossing her arms when Bilbo started to say something, giving him a knowing look.

Thorin ignored the slight upward twitch of his lips at seeing their Elf was back to her old self, nodding to the Company. "Two minutes, then." He declared, giving everyone a minute to take a break.

"You seem lighter now that we're out of the palace," she mused as she came to stand near him, offering a slight smile.

He returned the smile, "How's he doing?" He nodded slightly to his younger nephew, quirking a brow at her.

Glancing in said direction, she exhaled and looked at the river again. "He should be able to move better without that arrow stuck in his leg. Something troubles me about how simply that Orc shot him, though… If I didn't dodge it, I would've been dead." She bristled a smidge at the thought, hating the notion of dying before she could fulfill her promise, as her eyes tightened.

Something about her possible death made his stomach clench, and Thorin huffed. "You both fought well, and you're both here. That is enough to relieve anyone." He mused, perking her ears.

Eäriel smiled slightly, shaking her head. "Try saying that without such a frightening scowl on your face, next time." She nudged him.

Thorin made a face, but for the bemusement in her eyes, he sighed through his nostrils. "My scowl frightens you?" He jibed disbelievingly.

"Nice try, love." Eäriel smirked cheekily and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the bemusement remaining present in her eyes. Her ears pricked as she distinctly felt they were being watched, and her eyes flew to the small slope not far from where Ori sat as she noticed movement in the shadow of the trees on the higher part of the slope.

Thorin perked up when she tensed at his side, looking at where her eyes rested as little Ori looked up, seeming to feel he was being watched as he dumped the water from his boots into the shallow end; he stiffened next to her as the tall shadow of a man came into view, a longbow on hand with an arrow aimed at the young Dwarf.

Ori looked up in surprise at the stranger just as Dwalin came to shield him with a thick branch on hand, only for the branch to be pierced with the man's arrow. Kili came to his aid with a rock ready to be thrown, surprised when the projectile was knocked from his grasp.

The creaking of a bowstring came from the elleth as she aimed her own arrow at the stranger with a cold glare.

"Try that again and you're dead." The man declared coldly as he aimed another arrow at the three Dwarves.

* * *

><p><em>* i seem to be getting better at writing cliffhangers, don't i? brick'd_

_* yey, finally out of Mirkwood! our gang isn't out of the woods just yet as Laketown is coming up, and then... well, i'll let you simmer on that one while you wait for chapter 10 to come out. stay tuned! and thanks for keeping consistent with this story so far, and putting up with my hair-brained idea to rewrite it. lates!_


	11. Misery Business in Esgaroth

"If you dare cut them down then my arrow will happily find its place in your skull." The Elf growled out, earning the man's attention as he aimed his bow at her, and she added on a more patient tone, "Perhaps we can come to a more peaceful explanation of why you tried to kill my friends."

The bowman lowered his weapon a smidge, his grip not lessening for a second, even as the apparent She-Elf relaxed her grip, a protective light brightening her piercing stare. "A Dwarvish escort company for one Elf seems a bit odd." He said with a stiff edge to his low voice.

"On the contrary, **I** am the escort. The Dwarves are a company of kinsmen from the Blue Mountains traveling to the Iron Hills to visit their kin, and the Lord of Rivendell requested I accompany them to make sure they reach their destination safely." She stated casually as if she was speaking with an old friend.

"Beg pardon, but as we've lost our original form of transportation across the lake, that barge wouldn't be available for hire, would it?" Balin chose that moment to poke his head in, earning a briefly relieved glance from their Elf, as he looked on the bowman with a polite smile.

* * *

><p>Kili raised a brow as he was looking between his uncle and their Elf, the latter standing near the bargeman, both talking quietly now and then in the silence. "Fee," he nudged his brother.<p>

"What is it?" Fili raised a brow at his younger brother's nudge, still rather concerned for him since the elleth had bound his injury a few hours ago.

"I think Uncle's jealous…" Kili mused, making his brother blink once and then look over at the intended Dwarf who was standing a bit of a ways.

Now that he noticed, Kili had a point; every other minute their uncle would glance at where Eäriel stood as she spoke with their hired bargeman, a hard scowl on his brow, one the blonde prince wasn't accustomed to seeing.

"Can't say I blame 'im; Eäri's no Dwarrowdam but she **is** lovely… y'know, for an Elf." Fili replied quietly, rubbing the scruff on his chin.

The dark-haired prince smiled thoughtfully, "S' nice to see Uncle taking his mind off things. Mahal knows he's always lookin' at Eäri." At least he wasn't the only one who fancied Elves.

"You notice it too, then?" Bilbo sniffed and rubbed his nose gingerly as he had been standing near the brothers, catching every other word they had said on accident; it wasn't difficult for one to see Thorin was attracted to Eäriel, even if the two in question denied it until they were blue in the face.

"A blind man can see it." Fili smirked in amusement.

Eäriel shot a glance in their direction, and the trio looked elsewhere, quieting their chatter; she rolled her eyes even as a fond smile played at her lips, and she leaned her hip against the rail of the boat.

"I would think I've seen everything before seeing an Elf befriending a Company of Dwarves." Bard, as she'd learned his name was, commented with a wryness to his voice as he kept his hand on the large oar of their boat, still not believing what he was seeing.

"Eru meant for his children to live in peace with each other, even as Elves are the firstborn of his offspring and Dwarves are his adoptive children per Aulë. I see no reason to hate them for petty reasons." Eäriel shrugged innocently.

"You will forgive me for saying this, but you're rather odd for an Elf, to befriend and defend those not of your kin." Bard remarked, although he couldn't deny that her quest was honorable and had a certain purity to it. He caught one glance from the dark-haired Dwarf standing a ways off along the rail and the shorter male eyed him coldly before his gaze left to stare at the quiet waters around them. "Your friend doesn't like me." He added quietly.

The elleth raised a brow and looked at the Dwarf-king in question before she smirked softly, a fondness softening her lovely features. "He's not used to strangers; gets a bit snippy when being forced to play nice with them, really." She said with amusement in her eyes, seeing Thorin glance at her again and she winked when meeting his gaze. She bit her lip to evade a snicker when distinctly seeing his ears turn red as he sharply looked away.

The bargeman fought a smirk from showing, recognizing the Dwarf's predicament all too easily. It wasn't enough seeing an Elf mixed up with a band of thirteen Dwarves and one Halfling, but to see the leader of the Dwarves show _fondness_ for the lone Elf?

This was turning into quite a day.

* * *

><p>Tauriel gave a hard frown as she held her friend's stare, "Are we not part of this world?" She asked quietly.<p>

Looking at the direction the river went, Legolas saw the image of Eäriel cutting through the Orcs that had invaded their kingdom with a fluid and almost vicious swing of her sword, as it flashed in his mind for one moment. Sighing slightly through his nostrils, he could swear this had to be the worst start of a day he'd ever experienced.

Eäriel successfully escaping with the Dwarves down the river, Tauriel going against his father's rule to stay within the Woodland Realm's sanctity… Not a good day at all, really.

"I'm beginning to wonder who's more reckless…" Legolas mused wryly, still thinking on the sad and hopeful glimmer that had brightened Eäriel's blue eyes, how he'd let her go when he had orders that stated the polar opposite…

Chuckling quietly, the redhead smiled at her friend. "You worry too much when you very well know Eäriel and I can take care of ourselves." She thought of the dark-haired prince she had saved the life of on the bridge, that vile Orc's words that haunted her… Her light brown eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the river again. "Come."

* * *

><p>"I'm not sure if this is a good plan or a foolhardy one." Bilbo muttered as their boat slowly approached the small checkpoint, which in retrospect was a shack on stilts.<p>

Patting his head, Eäriel smiled brightly. "Don't fret, those blokes aren't gonna do anything. Trust me." She said the last two words with the cheeriness of a happy child, and the Hobbit had to wonder just what his friend had up her sleeve.

"Even so, can't trust them so easily…" Thorin remarked stiffly, earning a look from the female that he ignored.

Rolling her eyes, the She-Elf sighed through her nostrils. "You worry too much, my dear king." She said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing for a moment before drawing her hand back, watching as they approached the checkpoint.

Bard watched the brunette elleth hop off the boat without need of a ramp, landing on the jetty with nimble feet, and he shot a glance at the Dwarf-king to see his eyes were on the female's back with a sort of protective glare on his features.

"State your business!" One of the two guards at the entrance of the shack ordered when seeing the lone Elf approaching.

She refrained from rolling her eyes; _taking their jobs too seriously_… Tipping her chin up slightly, Eäriel said, "My companions and I are here to speak with the Master of Laketown." She knew she looked a bit shabby with her clothes still drying and her mane of hair wavy and in the same state as her clothes, but she had some confidence in her methods of persuasion.

"What's a company of Dwarves doin' with an Elf?" The second guard scoffed as he glanced back at the Dwarves, Bard and Bilbo still on the boat.

"Our business is solely for an audience with the Master, I'm afraid. Divulging such precious matters would be costly, as my employer would **not** be pleased to hear two checkpoint guards as hard-working as you were trying to hold up a meeting… And he has a bit of a **nasty** **temper**." Eäriel said calmly, offering a polite smile even as her seemingly-nonthreatening words made a sliver of fear appear on the two guards' faces.

"While we can't guarantee an audience right away with the Master, you may pass through." The first guard said with a nod of his helmeted head, and his coworker nodded with him.

Eäriel smiled sweetly and nodded, "Thank you kindly, gentlemen!" She turned about to retreat to the boat just as the gates were raised, hopping into the boat with expertise. "We're good." She said to the others.

The Dwarves and Bilbo gave a relieved sigh as they were nearing the second checkpoint just short of the gates. Bard raised a brow at the Elf's confidence, commenting, "I hope you have just as much patience with the second checkpoint."

"To be frank, I'm not sure on that… I will try, though." Eäriel chuckled, shuffling to stand near Thorin by the middle of the boat. "You look like you're thinking on something." She commented when seeing he sported a pensive expression.

"Yes, as I'm wondering if your persuasive flair is a _useful_ trait or… _concerning_." Thorin said thoughtfully, perking up when hearing her stifle a laugh; he shot a look at her, "What is it _now?_" He groused.

"The mighty Thorin Oakenshield is frightened of _my_ methods of persuasion? I never thought I would see the day!" Eäriel giggled, earning a raised brow from her friend.

She _giggled?_ She hardly giggled in the past, and yet now… Thorin pretended his ears didn't heat up and was grateful his beard hid the slight tinge of pink on his cheeks, as he snuffed indignantly, "Don't rub it in, _Elf_." He puffed his chest out a smidge and glared at her.

Even as he felt embarrassed at having been made fun of by the elleth, some small part of him was glad to see her laugh as she hadn't been so jovial since they'd first entered Mirkwood… That same part of him had actually missed her jovial demeanor.

A clearing of one's throat made both Elf and Dwarf perk up, and the former was slightly relieved to see it was Balin who had come forth. "We're nearing Laketown, and I'm afraid we're going to require your silver tongue yet again, lass." He said calmly as if he hadn't noticed both of his companions were staring at the other.

"Right, thank you, Balin," Eäriel coughed slightly and smiled at him, ambling away from Thorin's side to move closer to where Bard stood as the checkpoint was coming up.

Thorin watched her go with a slight sigh through his nostrils once more, perking up when seeing Balin was giving him a look. He scowled unsurely, "What is it, Balin?"

"A normal Elf would not risk her life to keep _yours_ intact, nor would she defy an Elvenking knowing she would lose her freedom _and_ immortal life by defending your _honor_, my friend…" Balin had a strange knowing twinkle in his eye before he added jovially as the younger Dwarf made to say something, "But our Eäriel is _not_ normal. Otherwise she would not still be traveling with Dwarves."

Crossing his arms at his chest with a stubborn scowl on his brow, Thorin closed his eyes and exhaled shortly. "…No she is _not_ normal." He agreed quietly after a moment of silence between the two friends.

But that is what made her interesting.

"…Anything to declare, aside from the bunch you've got on board with you?" The older man at the gate, whose name she learned was Percy, asked of Bard in a friendly manner.

"Just that I'm cold, tired and hungry!" Bard said wryly.

"Can't say I blame you; and what is your business with us, my Lady?" Percy chuckled, looking on the elleth standing next to Bard.

Eäriel smiled warmly, "My Company and I wish to speak with the Master of this town; blessedly, we ran into Bard on the way here."

Nodding his approval, the older man replied, "Best of luck with that, then." He smiled slightly as he readied the papers for Bard, telling the men at the gates, "Let them through!"

"Not so fast!" The Elf's smile fell infinitesimally when a second man came forth and snatched the papers from his coworker, one who was clad in black robes and had a greasy look on his face that she immediately disliked. The second man didn't give the papers in hand a second glance as he sneered at Bard and then eyed the Elf at his side, "A trouble-making bunch like you lot entering our fine town? I don't think so! We don't let troublemakers into our town, lest the Master hears of it."

Refraining from sticking her dagger in this slippery excuse of a man's jugular, Eäriel kept her sweet smile present as she returned, "Which is why we've come so far, my good man, for we wish to speak of an important issue with your revered Master." She contemplated sticking _both_ daggers in his eyes, as he eyed her a second time, seeming to take note of her beauty.

"I regret to inform you, my Lady, but our Master is a very busy man; any important issues are to be taken up with me firstly, and I will relay them to the Master if the issues are important enough in my opinion." The man said smugly, tilting his chin up in self-pride.

Her right brow twitched for a fraction of a second, and the Elf hopped off the boat to near the man with the same sweet smile on her lips even as her posture said elsewise. "You are _not_ the Master of Laketown, correct? Then what is your name?" She asked when seeing him shake his head a smidge at the first question, keeping her hands clasped at her back, as she stood her full height.

"Alfrid Lickspittle, mum, Counselor and Adviser to the Master." The man named Alfrid answered confidently.

Stepping closer towards him with the same sweet smile on her lips, Eäriel said in a soft voice dripping with poisoned honey that only he could hear, "My dear Alfrid, if I may divulge something of vital importance to you… if you value your life as _miserable as it is_, you will let us pass through. I am _cold_, _tired_, and I have not the _need_ or _whimsy_ to spill more blood, as I've _already_ killed four Orcs this morning to protect my Company, _who_ if I may add, are as frozen to the bone as I am. So if you would be _so kind_ as to let us keep our business private _until_ we meet with the Master and let us take refuge in your lovely town, please." She tilted her head and smiled, and while it was sweet, her piercing blue eyes promised a swift death he would not see coming if he deny her entrance into the town.

Gulping when recognizing the cold threat in her eyes that put the term '_if looks could kill_' to shame, Alfrid stammered slightly as he replied, "I-I will run it by the Master then… Don't just stand there, raise the gate!" He barked at the gatekeepers, turning to face the elleth only to see she had retreated to the boat with a skip in her step.

"I think he's about to wet himself." Bard didn't fight the smug smirk from crossing his features as their boat waded near the gates. "Whatever you said seems to have stunned him, even." He added.

Eäriel smiled serenely, "I am not the _whimsical_ type of Elf you read of in stories, Master Bard." She said as she took a seat near Bilbo.

"Seems like you scared 'im enough." Bofur said jovially near the two rag-tag members of their group.

"Eäriel can be scary when she wants to be," Kili offered with a slight cringe as he recalled a few memories where said elleth had showcased her methods of persuasion, earning a supporting nod from Fili.

* * *

><p>Eäriel raised a brow when the group had outrun the guards that had suddenly chased them through the tiny maze-like walkways of Laketown, and she looked over her shoulder as she had hid with the others while their host warded off the men. She shook her head and made a note to ask Bard about the reason behind the strange fiasco, perking up when hearing said man sigh as he looked their direction and said, "It's safe now."<p>

"The world of Men certainly hasn't lost its… tense outlook." Thorin snorted under his breath, trodding to follow Bard down one walkway's direction that led to more of the shack-like houses.

"It would've been easier if you lot hadn't _tripped_ that one guard…" Eäriel pinched the bridge of her nose.

"But it was funny!" Fili said, only to earn an eye-roll from the She-Elf.

Looking at Bard again, Eäriel quirked a brow. "Your friends seem to have an odd sense of welcome." She said.

"Sorry about that… I am not exactly well-liked by the Master, to be frank." Bard replied with a slightly sheepish look.

"Why's that?" Thorin wondered blandly as he walked at the Elf's right side, arms crossing at his chest.

Bard answered with a slight smirk at the reminder, "The people of this town favor me over him."

"That bad, then." Eäriel huffed. "Can't wait to meet him!" She said with sarcasm, briefly noting the quick glances their odd party earned from some of the locals who were going on about their business, some looking at them and then their eyes darted away when she returned the glance. Her arms folded her chest; _being spied on, too? How insecure __**is**__ this revered Master, I wonder_, she thought.

Bard was once again curious of the elleth when his son Bain had greeted them with news that his house was being spied on, and the lone female of the group had offered that their group stay in the open with him to send a message to Alfrid; as this idea earned approval from Thorin and a reluctant agreement from Bard, the latter was not only curious of her but wondered just how deep her loyalty to the Dwarves truly ran.

"Da, why're there Dwarves in our house?" His eldest daughter, whose name the elleth had learned was Sigrid, asked when seeing thirteen Dwarves, a Halfling, and an Elf following her father into their warm house.

"Will they bring us luck?" The younger daughter named Tilda asked excitedly as she looked at her father.

"I happened upon them when I went to retrieve the barrels," Bard answered as he had disappeared from the room only to return shortly with a stack of clothes for the group to change into, "They'll be staying here for a bit until they can get an audience with the Master." He added.

Thorin glanced at the Elf with a raised brow as the clothes were distributed to their Company, wondering how she had persuaded the bowman to let them stay with his household until such time.

Eäriel caught his glance and started to offer a slight smile before she lifted a faded red tunic from the pile the youngest had been carrying, smiling kindly at the girl as she said, "This will do fine for me, thank you."

Nearly gaping at the oddity before her, Tilda called to her sister, "Sigrid, look! An Elf!"  
><em><br>Oh right, never seen an Elf before_… Eäriel smiled again, albeit shyly, when the elder daughter also seemed to marvel at her. "Ah-um, nice to meet you…?" She had rarely associated with the world of Men in the past, so to be a marvel even when she didn't see herself as one was truly humbling.

Fili and Kili chuckled quietly at the sight of a shy Eäriel being stared at because of her race, and both brothers couldn't help but notice their uncle was just as amused at the sight.

"Oh you wouldn't want to be in the same room as the men while they're changing; c'mon," Sigrid said as she saw the embarrassed look on the Elf's face when the latter recognized she needed to change, and not in the same room as the Dwarves and Bilbo, both girls ushering her out of the room.

"We didn't mean to stare, it's just we've never seen an Elf before… Not one as beautiful as you, I mean!" Tilda commented when Eäriel had stepped away to quickly change out of her wet tunic and cloak into the faded red tunic she'd borrowed, shrugging it on over the sleeveless under-tunic she wore.

Eäriel laughed weakly as she was fixing her gauntlets back in place, smiling at the sisters. "Thank you for that, and for being so kind to us. It's a nice change of pace, really." She said, reaching to re-tie her hair into a high tail with her hair-tie, lowering her arms.

"I can't imagine anyone not being kind to your friends and you…" Sigrid said with a slight frown at the notion.  
><em><br>You'd be surprised_, the Elf refrained from voicing her thoughts, perking up when hearing it was safe for her to return to the main room, and the trio of females entered to see the Dwarves were already changed and some wore blankets to keep themselves warm. "We can't thank you enough for your hospitality, Bard." Eäriel said as she smiled gratefully at the head of the house.

"Watching Alfrid nearly wet himself because of fear of an Elf is payment enough." Bard returned with an amused look on his face, seeing her chuckle before she nodded slightly to him and then neared the Dwarves and Bilbo, still rather puzzled on her fast friendship she had with the group of men.

"You're not freezing in just that tunic, Eäri?" Fili wondered as the female came to check on Kili as he'd sat down on a nearby trunk, watching her crouch to inspect his brother's bum leg he had been favoring since she had mended it.

Eäriel felt her stomach clench for a moment when noting the odd paleness in Kili's younger face, and she answered, "No, the house's warmth helps… How's your leg?" She met her friend's brown eyes with concern.

Kili shrugged as he held her stare, somehow not surprised at her concern that was equivalent to that of an older sister. "Stings a bit… I'm fine elsewise, Eäri. _Really_." He added at seeing the frown deepen on her brow.

"Don't be so thickheaded, Kili. I should've taken that arrow instead, not you…" The Elf scolded, an equally-concerned frown pulling the corners of her lips downward.

The younger heir gave a soft chuckle when recognizing the scolding tone he had heard elsewhere. "You sound like Uncle." His wry smirk widened a little when seeing his words had surprised his friend, and he added now that he had room to speak, "I'm fine, okay? Just bloody cold, is all… Don't worry so much, Eäriel."

A look of defeat crossed her lovely features and the elleth closed her eyes momentarily with a short exhale, reaching to flick his ear affectionately and she opened her eyes when seeing he pouted at her gesture. "_'Not reckless_' he says… Y'know as well as I that that's rubbish, Kili." She smiled knowingly, straightening to her feet with a shake of her head.

Bilbo saw the concern still present in the Elf's eyes even as she walked to stand with him, accepting the warm cup of tea he had saved for her. "He's strong-willed, Eäriel… I'm sure he'll be fine." He mused quietly as she sipped the drink.

Eäriel felt her fingers heat up by holding the warm ceramic mug, and she nodded. "I know, but it's not his injury that worries me." She sipped her tea and looked off to where Thorin had gone, her keen eyes finding him standing by the nearby window; a thin brow lifted when she noted he looked as if he was lost in some memory she couldn't hope to reach… "Thorin?" She said gently as she approached him, a curious look on her face. "What is it?"

"A Dwarvish Wind-Lance…" Thorin answered quietly, and she looked past his head into the cold day beyond the house to take note of a rickety-looking tower, said harpoon-like mechanism pointed off in one direction at the top of the tower.

Bilbo was near the elleth as he commented when seeing both of their thoughtful expressions, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"He has," Balin said as he approached the trio, looking thoughtfully upon the Dwarf and Elf, as he added, "The last time we saw such a weapon, the city was on fire."

Eäriel added as she noted the Hobbit's curious look, "It was the day Smaug laid waste to the city of Dale… I will not forget it. The Lord of Dale, Girion, rallied his bowmen to fire on that oversized lizard, but a dragon's hide is tough, tougher than the strongest armor any smith could hope to make... Only a black arrow fired from a Wind-Lance could pierce the dragon's near-indestructible hide."

Balin nodded as he imagined she had seen enough of the destruction wrought that day, looking to the Halfling as he contributed, "Only a few of those were ever made; when Girion made his last stand, his store was running low."

Thorin pulled his gaze away from the reminder of that horrid day as he looked at Bilbo with a grim light in his eyes, "if the aim of men had been true on that day, much would be different."

"Girion tried his hardest, Thorin… I can say that at least he fought for the sake of avenging Dale and Erebor, fought harder than Thranduil." Eäriel reminded quietly, a hardness showing in her own eyes as she recalled the day her former king had turned his back on their allies, all too vividly for her liking.

"You speak as if you were there." Bard commented as he had overheard the quartet, taking a step closer to them.

Thorin snuffed blandly, "All Dwarves know the tale."

"My king did not aid Erebor or Dale, that day… It's because of his hesitance that we can only look on the ruins of Dale today and feel bitterness." Eäriel agreed with a scowl not aimed at the bargeman but at a memory he couldn't possibly hope to see, and she sipped her now-lukewarm tea again.

"Then you would know that Girion _hit_ the dragon," Bard's only son Bain defended as he neared the group to stand at his father's side loyally, "he loosened a scale under the left wing and would've killed the beast with one more shot."

Dwalin chuckled as he had stood nearby listening to the exchange, "That's a fairy-story, lad; nothing more."

Eäriel rolled her eyes and remarked, "So is a lone Elf befriending and living with Dwarves, obviously…" Of course it made her curious to see Bard and his children knew so much of the story of Girion… She glanced at Bard with slight suspicion.

It wasn't entirely impossible, yet at the same time, it _was_ impossible… Wasn't it?

* * *

><p><em>* <strong>THANK YOU GUYS SVM FOR THE UPTAKE IN FAVSFOLLOWS! **_

_* small music note, i would recommend listening to **Jeff & Mychael Danna, BrunuhVille, Thomas Bergersen, Howard Shore** and **Lorde**. i've been listening to their music most of these last few days and they're very talented, as well as the music fits so well if you're in need of instrumental inspiration._

* _yey we finally get to meet Bard. i personally admire his character moreso in DoS than in BoFA... and yes a jealous Thorin is just adorable.. either that or i need help. welp! but yes, Eäriel is scary when she wants to be, as she obviously doesn't use her higher-power skills just for combat.. i regret nothing in regards to this chapter. period._

_* will be out for much of tomorrow so i'll be working on the next chapter thru Sunday and Monday most likely... here's hoping to finding some wonderful comments from my doting readers when i get home tomorrow evening! (: for now, the humble author must head off to bed so g'night all. _


	12. Dragonfire Extinguished

Kili's leg did not seem to bug him as much as it had the day they'd arrived in Laketown, and that was two days ago.

Still, the elleth couldn't help but feel as if his injury wasn't just centered in his leg… She knew that Orcs trained in archery seldom used arrows that weren't dipped in Morgul poison. The thought of Kili dying from that, when he had so much life to live and one day become king of Erebor, made her heart sink.

She would not see the Line of Durin fall, not if she could prevent it.

"This market is almost reminiscent of the one in the Shire," the Halfling commented as he walked with the female past another row of fruit stands, carrying the lighter bags of groceries in his arms. From what he saw of Laketown, the people looked about as miserable as their town they lived in, hardly a smile or friendly gesture extended to their odd company; instead they earned curious or even suspicious looks from the townsfolk. This had put a damper on little Bilbo's hopes of seeing how the World of Men lived day by day.

Eäriel gave a wry laugh, spotting an herbs stand not far from where they walked, "at least the Shire has sunshine. Esgaroth was a far more beautiful port in better days… Now it is less than a hollow shell of how it once was, when Erebor was strong." She said dryly, shouldering one of the heavier bags of meat and fish on her right arm.

"You visited Laketown before Smaug attacked Erebor?" Bilbo asked curiously, knowing even as a Woodland Elf, he wouldn't figure she had ventured to the port city in its younger days.

"I would accompany some of the trading parties once or twice if I could manage. Though I got an earful from my friend if he caught me returning in the wee hours of the morning to the Woodland Realm… Which happened frequently." The elleth said with a slightly sheepish smile, seeing her friend smile amusedly.

Nodding, the Halfling looked on in further curiosity when she stopped at the herbal stand to inspect the wares advertised, looking at her. "Erm, what exactly are you looking for?" He asked.

"Athelas; it's an herb that cures poisoning and it grew wild back home… Though I do not see it here…" Eäriel frowned at the lack of the herb she needed, giving a polite smile to the woman behind the stand before she and Bilbo moved on.

"What would you need a poison-curing herb for?" Bilbo asked as he trodded at her side, rather confused and alarmed at the same time, thinking if anyone in the Company had a case of poisoning…

"You won't tell Thorin, will you?" Her voice softened so only he could hear as they made their way back to Bard's, looking at her companion and seeing him nod. She looked ahead as they crossed through the winding pathways leading to the home of their host, taking a breath as she explained. "Orcs rarely use arrows lest the heads are dipped in Morgul poison. The arrow that was meant for my head that day at the bridge hit Kili instead… Athelas, along with some Elvish healing, cures the poisoning." She watched the horror fill his brown eyes as he pieced it together.

"But then…" His mouth was dry as he looked at the Elf and only saw remorse and guilt in her blue eyes before he looked forward and shook his head. "He can't die! Kili doesn't deserve it… Can't you heal him?" He asked, keeping his voice in a hushed hiss when she glanced around for one moment.

"Lord Elrond tried to teach me to heal, but I was rubbish at it. Mending bruises and cuts is more my style, but using Elvish magic is not in my skillset. I've been redressing Kili's wound for the last couple of nights, but aside from that, I can't do much, except pray to the Valar that he doesn't die on us." Eäriel flinched at the mere thought of Thorin's distraught face if he saw his nephew die, and she prayed she would never see that in his eyes.

Above all things, Eäriel the Wanderer couldn't live with herself if she failed the Dwarf-king.

* * *

><p>Rubbing her eyes gingerly with the side of her hand, she let her feet quietly lead her outside to the small porch of their lodgings, closing the door behind her wake and leaning slightly onto the wooden railing of the porch, slender hands gripping the wood.<p>

She had rarely had nightmares after she began living in Imladris, yet once in a while one would sneak up on her when she wasn't expecting it. Sometimes the horrors of seeing her home being burned to the ground resurfaced as she lived through them, watching her parents being cut down mercilessly; other times the nightmares would entail one of her loved ones being caught in a situation where she was rendered useless to help them escape the situation's grim end.

Just thinking of what would befall her friends chilled her to the bone, and she immediately loathed this weakness… She was a warrior for the Valar's sake, strong and confident! She had survived well enough on her own in the last sixty years, and even before then when she had set out for the Greenwood…

Yet here she stood, in the cold fall night, fretting over what may or may _not_ happen because of that accursed nightmare.

The sound of the door opening behind her pulled her from her grim thoughts and she glanced to see she wasn't the only one awake; smiling wryly at the company she had earned, she gave a soft sigh as he ambled to stand with her at the railing. "You should rest, _Mellonin_." She said softly without looking his way.

"Perhaps you should take your _own_ advice for once. While Esgaroth isn't as dangerous as when we were on the run, there's hardly a threat here." The Dwarf-king rumbled quietly.

Her left brow twitched a smidge and the Wanderer stared out at the darkened houses, blue eyes skimming across the skyline that was a velvety black, as a new moon did not let the white orb show her light on the world. "I couldn't sleep… Had a nightmare." She explained, maintaining her soft voice.

She doubted anyone was dropping eaves on them, but one couldn't be too careful.

This briefly surprised the dark-haired Dwarf, as he couldn't recall hearing she had complained in the past about nightmares. Though the night she had told him of how she had come to live in Rivendell many years ago was not something he imagined she could forget, not as such a young age… "You seem to have done well enough by now to forget the memories that have haunted you. Whatever it is, I'm sure it is nothing dangerous." He at least hoped.

"I'm worried, Thorin." Her piercing blue eyes met his own, and their stares held for a solid minute it seemed before she looked away, a crinkle in her brow appearing. "I do not have fear that we won't reach the Mountain, now that it's close enough I can almost touch it… I only worry for the boys, and you." The brief image of the Dwarves she loved and cared about being consumed in a storm of brilliant searing flames from the mouth of a dragon appeared in her mind as her eyes took on a distant glaze.

Thorin quieted and noticed she shivered even as she didn't seem to complain about the cold, his thick brow furrowing. "You have nothing to worry about, Eäriel… We will take back the Mountain, and everything will be alright once we kill that beast…"

"_Thorin_." She clipped his name in a hard tone, and when he looked into her paler blue eyes again, he was surprised to see fear brightening her stare.

He could feel as if he saw everything she had tried to hide in the stare-down, the nightmare that had left her worried to the point of fearing for not herself, but for his kin, and Bilbo, even he. "What is it you saw?" He asked in a strangely soft voice, distinctly seeing the fear be pulled behind her indifferent wall she had honed.

"I… I watched as you and the others were burned alive by Smaug's fire… And I could do nothing but watch you die!" Eäriel could swear her eyes stung and she quickly looked away from him, his handsome face becoming ingrained in her mind even as she could still see the dragonfire burn him alive in her mind's eye.

Thorin felt his heart clench when distinctly seeing her eyes begin to grow misty before she sharply cut her gaze away from his own, as her words replayed in his mind… "We will not die. **I** will not die at the mercy of that oversized worm, and you know it. I **would not** die only to have **you** be left defenseless against Smaug, Eäriel." He quieted as he heard the last sentence that passed his lips, and he watched her blink once and then her gaze widen.

She slowly looked at him, innocence brightening her ice blue orbs. "You would protect **me** against Smaug." She didn't ask him, knowing he was true to his word, even if he hadn't meant for that sentence to slip out into the suddenly awkward silence between them.

He could swear blood had quickly rushed into his face, ears and neck, and he looked away awkwardly, giving a cough. "I… Of-of course I would! You are a member of the Company, and until now you have risked your life to keep ours safe, something anyone of my kin would do without hesitation..." He declared gruffly, pretending to find interest in the sanded-down railing of the porch.

Eäriel felt her cheeks heat up in likewise shyness, a shyness she didn't show when around the Dwarf-king, and while she should've brushed it off, she was flattered that he would protect her… It was sweet. "I would protect you against Smaug as well… Without a doubt." She watched his gaze jerk onto hers and she shrugged, smiling a little, "Your life is of more worth than mine, anyway… The life of a rogue elleth is meaningless in the world of Elves. Lesser so when she has defied an Elvenking and run away from her home…"

"You are **not** meaningless!" Thorin snapped sharply, seeing surprise fill her softened stare, and he continued with anger slowly boiling in his veins as it was aimed at whatever wretch had told her such a lie. "You have risked your life and reputation to keep _us_ alive, to make sure _my life_ was kept _safe_: you are nothing if not important to the Company… and to **me**, Eäriel." He stated firmly, distinctly seeing awe fill her lovely face, illuminating her ice blue gaze.

"Thorin…" She whispered, feeling the corners of her eyes sting again, a bit more pointed this time, and she looked away, failing to hide a weak sniff. "You are so stubborn." She croaked, closing her eyes and shaking her head, distinctly feeling her heart soar at hearing she was important to him, that he seemed to finally understand her… "You're just as important to _me_ as well, you blockheaded king." She laughed weakly.

His shoulders had sagged as he watched her try to contain her tears infront of him, and a strangely fond smile played at his lips. "You are as stubborn as I am… wolf girl." He sported a bemused look when she perked up at the nickname he had found suited her best.

She felt the heat return to her cheeks and she didn't fight it, laughing quietly even as she recognized his fond smile, an equally fond smile forming on her lips. "Sod off." She murmured, earning a slight chuckle from him.

* * *

><p>Things had gone rather swimmingly with the Master, something Thorin had to remember to thank their Elf for, as without her silver tongue they wouldn't have gotten access to the boat now docked as it waited for the Company to depart.<p>

He looked over his shoulder when seeing the female had strayed from his side, and when he found her lanky form, he saw she walked with his nephews. His blue eyes took note of the worried frown slowly pulling at her lips as her ice blue stare wasn't on him but on Kili… Once again he was left to wonder about his nephew as he noted the odd paleness his young face had taken on, and it had only seemed to look paler since they first set foot in Laketown.

Thorin's heart sank as he recognized Kili was still injured, and he could not risk his nephew's life against Smaug if he still had a bum leg.

Fili boarded the barge shortly after Bifur and was surprised when Thorin stopped Kili from following him; his blue stare looked back to see the two dark-haired Dwarves were conversing with the other, and judging by the confused frown on his little brother's face, whatever their uncle was saying was not something he wanted to hear.

Eäriel lingered on the jetty and watched the exchange between the princes and their uncle with saddened blue eyes; her words she'd told Bilbo in secret resurfaced, and as if she didn't have to worry already about Thorin and the others when they reached Erebor, she now had to recognize that Kili needed medical attention.

She would stay with Kili to see that he recovered from his wound, and by the looks of it, Fili and Oín were also staying with the prince.

"You're not coming." Thorin's low voice pulled her from her thoughts, and when she looked at him, some part of her chest ached at the crestfallen light in his stormy blue orbs that met her ice blue. He recognized her need to stay with his nephews, and while he respected that and was grateful for her aid, he had hoped she would fight alongside him against the dragon waiting for them on the other side of the lake.

He felt… incomplete, without his confident and fierce Elf warrior fighting at his side… Wait, '_his'?_

Shaking her head, Eäriel smiled wanly at him. "You're one of the strongest Dwarves I know; you don't need _me_ to face that dragon…"

"_**Yes**_. **I** **do**." He cut her off curtly, recognizing the slight surprise in her lovely face as he had involuntarily stepped closer to her, meeting her awed gaze; he _did_ need her whether she chose to believe that or not, if not as wise council then as a sharp blade that was willing to fight to the death at his side… He looked away with some amount of recognition they were still in public and he exhaled shortly, beginning to turn away from her. "Take care of them for me." He finished quietly, not hearing her quieter footsteps approaching him.

"Thorin."

The Dwarf-king turned to face her as she closed the small distance between them, her head ducking to leave a soft and warm kiss on his forehead, her slender hands holding him there for a second longer as he could swear he heard her whisper something in Elvish, before she drew back from him.

The Wanderer smiled fondly at the slight blush on his bearded face the scruff on his cheekbones hid rather well, as she also felt her cheeks warm. "Godspeed." She murmured.

Thorin was failing to keep a small grin from creeping onto his rugged features as he nodded and pretended his face wasn't warm, blue eyes fondly meeting hers even as the lingering sensation of her soft lips on his forehead made his whole body tingle. "Stay safe." He returned softly, turning to retreat to the boat, and she grinned privately when seeing the hint of a bounce in his step as he left.

"_Aulë, please keep him safe for me_…" Eäriel whispered the prayer under her breath in Elvish as she slid her eyes closed when the raucous band's procession ushered the boat's departure from the docks.

A rushing of footsteps sounded, pulling her attention back to the trio that remained with her and she noticed Bofur had shown up fashionably late; she would've chuckled at his entrance to the docks if she didn't recognize something was up, her piercing eyes flying to the princes just as Kili leaned a bit too heavily onto Fili, alarming the older prince as he grabbed him by the shoulders to steady him.

Eäriel was at his side in a flash with Bofur shortly following, and she looked at Kili's paled face with a measure of fear for his life, her own face paling. "Fili, get him up." She instructed, watching Bofur help the blonde lift the younger heir so both of his arms were held by the two Dwarves, and she led the way through the crowd to find aid with Oín, Fili, Bofur and a weakened Kili following shortly at her heels as she shoved and wove her way through the amassed population of Laketown.

* * *

><p>The guards standing on either side of the walkway leading to the Master's House perked up alertly as the quartet of Dwarves and one Elf made their way forward. One or two threatened to apprehend the rag-tag group but for the deadly glare from the lone elleth that swept across their faces, they hesitated and stayed away.<p>

"You must help us, my brother is sick!" Fili pleaded with the retreating ginger-haired Master and black-clad Alfrid slinking after him inside the mansion.

The Master flinched at the word, hastily reaching for a handkerchief in his coat pocket as he demanded nervously, "S-sick? Is it infectious?" He quickly covered his mouth and nose with the flimsy fabric. "Go away, get away from here with that illness!" He exclaimed.

"He's been poisoned; will you not give us aid?" Bofur, who'd been filled in on the darker-haired prince's condition on the way as they'd come to the Master, asked in the same desperate tone.

Alfrid sneered at the rag-tag group's pathetic pleas, speaking for his spooked master, "I don't look like an apothecary, do I? You miserable lot have taken enough from us, and the Master is a busy man! He don't have the time to worry about dying Dwarves; get lost, all of you!"

Eäriel snarled an oath in Elvish as she strode towards him with cold ice in her voice, "You are both cowardly worthless men, and will rot in your greed… If I was not the kind Elf I was, I would kill you without batting an eye." She spat, her equally cold glare making Alfrid cringe as she pinned him with it.

"Be gone, you worthless wench of an Elf! Your words will cause the death of us all!" The Master snapped back, fighting a flinch when her now-dangerous glare landed on him.

An evil grin spread across her lovely features as she replied, "I will rejoice when the dragon finds your worthless life unworthy of his fire and crushes your body into not even dust. Let's go." She spat at his feet before twisting on her heel to lead the group away, the luxurious red cloak they'd all been given that she wore softly billowing with her turn.

"Eäriel, where do we go?" Bofur asked as they stopped to let he and Fili take a breather, watching her rip the cloak off her shoulders and toss it into the nearby cold waters below the pathway.

"I know of a place… Fili, hand him to me, I will carry him." Eäriel answered quietly, looking at the blonde, and when he started to protest, he quieted at seeing the guilty light flash in her eyes.

Nodding, Fili and Oín handed off the younger Dwarf as the Elf crouched to let him on, her longer arms hooking around his legs as she straightened steadily.

Kili roused when being placed on someone's back, and he reflexively clung to the velvety cloth of his friend's cloak; opening his dark eyes for a moment, he was almost too weak to feel surprise that it was the Elf that was carrying him. "Eäriel…" He croaked quietly.

Eäriel gently shushed him as she walked, smiling when his eyes had cracked open, even as her heart sank at recognizing the glazed look he wore in his brown eyes. "We're going to get help, okay? Just hang on to me… Please, Kili." She softly pleaded, watching his eyes close before he rested his head near the nape of her neck. Staring forward as she led the group in the familiar direction of the bargeman's house, she began praying to the Eldar that he would live, that she could save him even with her measly skills.

She would not see her friend die if she could do everything in her power to save his life.

* * *

><p>Bard was surprised when seeing the elleth's face standing on his doorstep, and he hesitated to speak when seeing the slightest hint of fear amidst the worry in her pale blue stare. Brow furrowing into a scowl, he watched her open her mouth to speak when he interjected rather crossly, "I don't wish to deal with Dwarves and Elves anymore; go away!" He started to close the door on her when a shorter person shoved it open, and his dark eyes beheld the blonde prince who had come to stand near the female.<p>

"My brother is sick, and we've noone else to turn to… Please help us." Fili pleaded, and he saw his eyes glance at the ashen-faced prince the female had been carrying on her back before he met the older heir's imploring eyes.

Night was slowly descending on the dreary shell of Laketown as the group was allowed into the bargeman's home.

"You didn't tend to him beforehand?" Bard asked wryly as he had allowed the group to move the younger heir to the bed off to the side of the living area so the Dwarves could set him down, looking at the only female.

Eäriel shook her head, "I had nothing to cure him with, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I must apologize for what happened the other night, with the Master. He had no right to speak that way to you." She admitted, looking at him.

"What are you missing to cure him with, then?" Bofur cut in before the bargeman could respond, looking from the pained heir to their Elf.

"Kingsfoil, do you have any?" She replied, looking from the Dwarf to Bard.

"It's a weed, we feed it to the pigs." Bard said, fighting a wince when the prince's condition seemed to worsen and he gave a cry of pain from the bed.

"Right, I'm on it!" Bofur nodded as he earned a nod from the elleth before he dashed out the door.

A low rumble shook the house what felt like an hour or so later, making everyone save the ailing prince perk up in surprise; the Elf bit her lower lip as she imagined just what –or rather **_who_**—had caused that disturbance, and her thoughts briefly drifted to their missing Company members.

Fili looked at Bard with concern not for his friends and brother but for the bargeman and his household. "You should go; take your children and leave…" He declared.

"And what will _that_ prove; we've nowhere to run." Bard returned rather bitterly, seeing a slight measure of confliction show in the blonde Dwarf's face.

"Are we going to die, then?" Tilda asked for the sake of her siblings and herself, and her father saw the fear in her young face. "The dragon's going to kill us, isn't it, Da?"

A hard light appeared in his brown eyes as Bard then lifted his hand to yank the long arrow from its place above the dining room table, surprising his children, even as the amber light of the house glinted off the sharp tip of the Black Arrow in his grip. "Not if I kill it first."

Eäriel nodded and couldn't fight the slight smile from forming at recognizing he truly was Girion's descendant. "We will look after your children, go now." She assured, meeting his slightly surprised look with a calm assurance in her eyes.

Nodding back, Bard muttered a '_thank you_' before he left the house, Bain not too far behind.

"Will your friend be alright?" Sigrid dared wonder as she had gotten a wet cloth to give to the Elf, looking at her.

Eäriel spared a look at the ailing Dwarf and determination glinted in her eyes as she nodded. "I will save him… I have to. His uncle will kill me elsewise." She added with a rueful smile, nodding her thanks to the young woman before placing the cloth on his feverish forehead.

"Uncle won't do that, Eäri… he cares about you! …You know that." Fili said even as he had remained by his brother's side, looking at her rather sharply.

Eäriel quieted at hearing the revelation she had often denied for the sake of their journey, things that were much more important than whimsical emotions exchanged between the Dwarf-king and the less-than-honorable Elf like she; her eyes warmed with a fondness reserved for the Dwarf not present, replying knowingly, "Aye, I know, for I feel the same for him… Which is all the more reason to save Kili." She had visited them enough times after their father died to know the princes were more like brothers than just friends…

Fili and Kili were her brothers she would not hesitate to help, no matter the cost.

* * *

><p>Creaking of the boards of the roof above earned a sharp look from the Elf before she heard a scream from the porch. <em>Just lovely<em>… The sight of Sigrid rushing into the house just then tore her attention away from whatever was on the roof, and her slamming of the door would've worked had a disgusting Orc not broken it down, making the younger children jump in surprise.

Fili threw his weight against the first Orc that lunged at them, pinning the beast against the wall, just as another Orc crashed through the roof into the house, landing on the dining room table with a snarl.

Eäriel's dagger embedded the blade into its forehead just then as the beast fell back from her blow as another Orc rushed in through the front door; not enough room to use her bow… The elleth growled a curse and snatched Hathelas from its place by the bed. "Fili!" She tossed it at him as the prince caught her sword quickly when the Orc he'd pinned punted him off, a teal light springing to life when the sword was drawn as he stabbed its blade into the beast's chest on reflex.

Another two Orcs snarled as they invaded the house when the children scrambled to hide under the table and made to attack the children when the second intruder was cut down by Fili as Eäriel left her patient's side to launch herself at the first Orc, her long knife cleanly severing its head.

A loud snarl came from above as another Orc dropped down to throw the female to the floor; "Eäriel!" Fili shouted before he was blocked from helping her by a fourth Orc that rushed him from the darkness beyond the doorway.

Eäriel grunted as she kept her long knife's blade locked against the Orc's crudely-fashioned sword, her teeth bared, before her right leg hooked with the beast's left and she twisted so it fell to the floor as she scrambled away. She rammed her blade deeply into the Orc's chest with a disgusted glare, yanking the blade free and panting slightly. A cry of pain and defiance came from Kili, making her sharply look in his direction as a fifth Orc sought to try and kill him. "**No**!" She shouted, rushing to help the prince with a revived determination in her eyes, just as a sixth Orc crashed into her from the doorway, making to pin her against the wall with its crude weapon when her long knife ripped its throat open rather viciously, dying just as a feral light brightened her piercing blue eyes when she watched it fall.

The Orc that had pulled the prince from his bed was now dead, and the elleth had to stop in her tracks when recognizing the flaming red hair of her friend. "Tauriel!" She said in relief, hearing another growl come from the new Orc that flew at them from the hole in the roof before it was cut down with an arrow to the nape; her eyes widened in surprise when seeing a familiar pair of piercing blue eyes that had dropped in to land expertly on the table. "Legolas." She beamed.

Legolas smiled slightly at seeing she remained physically intact before another three Orcs rushed into the ruined house, and he caught one of the trio that flew at him when spotting his blonde hair, ripping into it effortlessly with his knives. A snarl of anger came from Eäriel as she stabbed into the second Orc with both her long knives as Tauriel took the last of the trio that made to attack the brunette elleth, her own knives severing the head from the shoulders.

Another Orc dropped in on them and would've gotten far if Legolas didn't kill it with ease, one of his knives flying past Eäriel's head to stab itself into the forehead of an Orc that attempted to kill her; she looked at him in surprise before she smiled and nodded her thanks, twisting to rip the throat open of an Orc that came through the doorway as Tauriel was taking on two more with ease, a third jumping down from the hole above the bed that launched itself at her when believing she didn't see.

Kili moved to yank a dagger from its belt and stabbed the blade into its ribs forcefully, felling the beast as he dropped from the weight put on his leg and cried out loudly in pain, earning a worried look from Tauriel.

"Kili!" Fili declared from where he was protecting the children, watching another Orc make to leave the scene when Eäriel stabbed into its back.

Eäriel heard another Orc snarling in Black Speech outside the house, and she would've gone to see had another cry of pain not come from Kili; she glared at the darkness before rushing to her friend's aid. "Kili!"

Legolas noted no more Orcs came as he distinctly heard what remained of their coup retreating into the night, and while he was relieved at seeing Eäriel safe, he knew they had to stop those Orcs from leaving Esgaroth alive. He went outside to find the cowardly beast that had alerted the others, just in time for an Orc on one of the dinghies below to be tossed up to his level; his knives easily severed the head from its shoulders as the body fell below and he gave the still-twitching head a disgusted glare before letting it drop into the cold waters. He perked up as at least another dozen or so Orcs dropped from the rooftops of the surrounding houses to flee into the darkness, the same disgusted glare setting on his brow.

"You killed them all!" Bain said quietly in awe as he and his sisters looked on the scene of carnage that had ruined their home, looking at the two Elves with some measure of admiration.

Fili fought a wince when his brother cried out in pain again and he noted his pallor was more deathly pale than anything. "Eäriel! You've got to do something… please!" He looked at the brunette elleth as she also looked at the dead Orcs in the house.

"Tauriel, you must help me…" Eäriel looked at the redhead female near her and noted surprise lightened her face. Her own brow was furrowed into a worried expression as she added, "You know what ails him. We need Athelas, and my healing skills aren't as powerful as yours. Please, _mellon_." She could see Tauriel cared for the Dwarf prince, and she could not blame her one bit, yet she recognized that she was conflicted between helping him or following Legolas to kill the Orcs.

"There are more of them; Tauriel." Legolas declared as he looked at the two She-Elves he had befriended, not missing the worried frown on Eäriel's lovely face that was meant for Kili, and he saw the hesitancy in Tauriel's face. His own face hardening slightly, he nodded to her before leaving the house.

Tauriel started to follow but for the pained cries from the Dwarf, she stopped in following her friend.

"Tauriel…" Eäriel declared, and she started to say something else when Bofur chose that moment to return with a handful of the familiar herb in his hand. "Bofur!" She said, and the hat-wearing Dwarf was confused when Tauriel took the verge from his grasp to examine it.

"Athelas…" The redhead said softly in something akin to relief, looking over at her friend and seeing a knowing look on her face. She quieted and smiled in the same manner, looking to the two girls. "We will need a bowl of water, hurry." She requested, the younger girl moving to heed her request as Eäriel gently assured Fili and Oín that Kili would be fine as Bofur went to their side.

Tilda held the bowl for Tauriel as she ground the herb into the water to make the salve, watching the two Dwarves move to stand on either side of the prince. "Hold him down." Eäriel instructed, raising her voice when Kili chose that moment to give another cry of pain, and she looked at Tauriel, both females sharing a nod as the redhead moved to grip his leg and examine the injury.

Kili blearily saw a head of brown hair and red hair standing over him, over his leg that felt like it was burning him from the inside out. Fili watched and listened as Eäriel was speaking softly in Elvish when she took some of the salve and rubbed it onto Kili's wound, her voice low and soothing as Tauriel was speaking at a slightly louder tone than she was; the blonde prince felt as if a great wave of relief was washing over him when the two She-Elves' chanting was growing louder, and a soft light as bright as the sun began outlining their thin frames, seeming to grow in strength with their combined voices now speaking as if it were only one.

Tauriel was relieved to see the color returning to the prince's face as the spell slowly ended, and she looked at her friend to see she was smiling at the prince's uptake in his condition, a slight mistiness visible at the corners of her eyes. She smiled as well, briefly surprised to see that the brunette She-Elf wasn't looking at Kili as if he were a lover but as if he were her own blood.

Just how deep did her loyalty to the Dwarves run, she wondered.

Eäriel took a roll of bandages from Sigrid who had offered it to her, gingerly wrapping his leg with the bandages and tying it under his thigh. She smiled fondly at the dozing prince, giving a soft sigh of relief as she felt the darkness that had tried to overtake him was now gone. She turned to Fili with the same fond smile when she noted the relief in his eyes, "He will be fine now, just needs to sleep for a bit." She assured.

The redhead raised a brow when the blonde Dwarf nodded and smiled at his little brother, seeing her friend's ice blue eyes rest on her honey brown and she felt her brow raise higher when the brunette sported a knowing smile, her blue eyes showing she bore no ill will against the redhead's feelings towards the heir. Her ears burned slightly even as the elleth moved away to usher Fili, Bofur, Oín, and the children away to give them a moment of privacy.

"I have only heard tales of Elvish healing magic, yet haven't seen it until today." Oín commented quietly.

"You alright, lass?" Bofur asked of their Elf as she retrieved her dagger from one of the corpses' cadavers, wiping blood from the blade with a strip of cloth from a ruined washrag before placing it back in place in her gauntlet.

Sighing softly, Eäriel nodded. "I'm fine, just a bit tired." She looked at Tauriel and Kili as the latter was softly talking to the former, the elleth showing a fondness solely meant for the heir, and a small smile pulled her lips upward. "I'm just glad it's over for now." She wished for the moment of peace to become extended, yet she knew in her heart that there had yet to be a happy ending at the end of the tunnel.

Fili followed her line of sight and huffed under his breath, a wry smile forming at the predicament his little brother had gotten into. By Mahal, he was done for… "Thank you, Eäriel, for saving my brother." He looked at the She-Elf next to him and added with a small sheepish look, "Y'know, again."

Eäriel's face softened and she laughed quietly, pulling him into a tight hug that he returned immediately, smiling down at her friend. "Eldar's sake, you don't need to thank me for everything, Fili… You know I'd do anything for you and your kin." She reminded, giving a gentle squeeze before pulling back to smile in a sisterly manner when he met her eyes.

"Eäriel." Tauriel looked at her friend, earning a raised brow before recognizing that she wished to speak with her; the brunette nodded and tousled the blonde Dwarf's hair with a gentle hand before she turned to approach her, both women stepping out into the cold night to speak privately. "_I still do not understand your loyalty to these Dwarves… And I am __**not**__ the only one who fails to solve this conundrum_." She said quietly in Sindarin, resting her hip against the railing of the porch as she looked at her friend.

Glancing back inside the ruined house at her friends, Eäriel bit her lip as she listened to her speak. "_We are of one mind, they and myself… We have no home to claim, roaming the Wild. They are kind, warm and loyal to a fault… I feel at home with them, more than I ever felt with my own kin_." She replied in the same tone, her voice thoughtful.

"**_Legolas_**_ was worried, __**I**__ was worried, when you jumped into the river that day… You have a home, you have us. You are not alone like you believe you are, Eäriel_…" The redhead reproached with a hard edge to her voice, brow crinkled into a soft frown.

"_I would not serve a king who refuses to leave the safety of his stone walls while his forest dies around him, Tauriel_." The brunette interjected sharply, seeing slight surprise brighten her brown eyes before the second She-Elf looked away, and she could see she was not the only one who felt such bitterness towards the Elvenking. "_My home is with the Sons of Durin, whether Legolas chooses to believe it or not… Whether __you__ choose to believe it or not_." She added softly, her tone gentle as she stared at her friend.

"_The Dwarf-king… You love him, don't you?_" Tauriel whispered, recognizing the surprise her friend's eyes took on, and she waited to hear her response; she had seen how she acted around him, the fondness she had shown to not just his kin but he in particular, her words she had spoken so boldly in the defense of Thorin Oakenshield that day in the Woodland Realm... If _that_ was not love, then she was obviously going blind.

Eäriel didn't blush or look away in denial, for she knew the redhead would see past that, so instead she smiled fondly, "_I fear losing him, losing the others… I just don't think he'd take fancy in an honor-less rogue elleth, not if there's hope for him to ensure his line will not fade with one of his own kind_." She said softly, a bitter chuckle passing her lips.

"_If he is willing to care about you and to have requested you stay behind with his nephews, safely out of that dragon's reach, then obviously he does not care for choosing another_." The redhead remarked knowingly, smiling a little when noticing the tips of her friend's pointed ears turned pink. "_He loves you for who you are, _mellon." She finalized.

The brunette rubbed the back of her neck with a hand and let her words process, before she replied calmly. "_You obviously fancy Kili, then_." She caught the surprised look on her face and chuckled, adding, "_By Eru, you're a goner, Tauriel_." She smirked proudly when the redhead's cheeks colored pink at her assumption.

"_Not all of us could gain the fancy of a mountain king, Eäri_…" Tauriel said defensively, lips pursing as she gave her a look that the brunette ignored.

Eäriel rolled her eyes and clapped a hand on her shoulder, "_I am happy for you either way… Both of you_." She said, seeing a sudden warmth fill her brown eyes, before she removed her hand and turned to enter the house. "C'mon, it's freezing out here."

Tauriel found Kili asleep and she smiled softly at the sight, her smile not going unnoticed by the blue eyes of her brunette friend. She met Eäriel's gaze before a loud rumble came from the nearby mountain, making everyone present jump.

Eäriel's heart sank at the noise and she rushed past her out into the darkness to look in the direction of the mountain, her keen eyes locking on the strange orange glow that came from the broken-down front doors of Erebor.

"Thorin."

* * *

><p><em>* so there ends DoS, i will admit as i wrote for it the second time around and finished it today, DoS is like the red line and a sign next to it that says "<strong>shit's about to get real from here on<strong>"... am i the only one who feels like that? yes? well okay then, moving on.._

_* yeaaah a little touchy-feely between Eariel and Thorin, mostly bc 1. it's cute, and 2. preparation for the angst and trolling that is slowing its pace in BoFA. and no we haven't seen the last of Legolas. mild FYI, i will expand more on his and Eariel's platonic relationship that may or may not blossom into something beyond that in my LoTR sequel. and on that note! **Battle of Evermore** is being **put on hold** until i finish this fic, mostly bc i proofread through the next installment in the sequel about a couple of weeks ago and realized the puzzle pieces don't exactly fit. soooo there's that._

_* an unrelated note: **i prolly won't continue with my Hakuouki fics yet... fallen out of love with anime lately so i will probably put an A/N in the latest installation in my Hakuouki story whenever i pick it up again. sorry guys!** _


	13. Prologue III - Posthumous Muck

The new day's rays of sunshine couldn't have been a more blessed sight after such a nightmare their group had endured and miraculously survived. While her heart ached with sympathy for the people of Esgaroth who had lost nearly everything in the hellfire Smaug had unleashed the previous night, she reminded herself that she had bigger issues to deal with.

Still, the poor things…

"_You're_ still here I see."

She slightly tensed at hearing the cool tone in his voice, knowing he was still sore about her escape from the Woodland Realm only days ago. A thought then came to mind… "Why did you follow me, follow _us_, from the river? The Orcs were _our_ problem to deal with… your interference wasn't needed." She looked at him then; her tone hardened slightly and when he met her eyes, there was confusion and concern in her piercing ice blue orbs.

Sighing through his nostrils, the Elven prince replied, "Even so, there were too many of them for thirteen Dwarves, one infected with Morgul poison, and a lone elleth to handle. It would've been folly if you had taken them on by yourself, Eäriel."

Bristling slightly at the reality of his words, the Wanderer cut her gaze away from his, glaring at the Lonely Mountain that now stood closer to their small group. "Don't start sounding like your father again, Legolas…"

"_I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't feel **concern** for the life of my old friend, Eäriel_." He snapped in their sharp tongue, making her stiffen when hearing his raised voice. She quieted as he added softly, "_I had thought you dead when you didn't come back after the Battle of Azanulbizar, and in the fifty years since, I had assumed as such until I found you in Mirkwood_."

Eäriel looked at him with a guilty expression marring her lovely face, her left boot toe kicking absently at the muddy ground beneath her, as her eyes dropped to stare at the scuffs and signs of age on her black boots. "It appears that you don't change, love. No matter how long I leave, you remain the same thoughtful prince you were before I left." She let a slow and sheepish smile cross her features.

Recognizing the reluctant defeat in her face, Legolas' shoulders slumped a little. A wry grin hedged his lips. "One of us has to be, since you're so flighty." He quipped softly in common tongue.

She sighed softly and watched the Dwarves procure a dinghy for their departure to Erebor, a fond smile forming on her lips as she thought of the Dwarf-king, and she knew he was just beyond the patch of water and rough terrain… "I made a promise." She whispered.

He had been staring in the same direction while she mused and he nodded. "We **will** meet again, I imagine." At her quirked brow, he added, "Valar know you can't go a century without getting yourself into trouble only for me to help you out of it." His wry grin remained.

"Eäri, let's go!" Fili called from the dinghy, interrupting her response.

Eäriel shook her head and chuckled, smiling up at the blonde Elf who had frowned in the direction of the heir's voice. "I will see you again, _Mellonin_." She embraced him tightly, feeling him squeeze her tight for that moment, before she drew back only to kiss his cheek chastely.

Legolas blinked a couple of times at her sudden kiss, looking at where she stood only to find she had jogged to the dinghy holding the quartet of dwarves, hopping into the boat as it was carried by the slow current across the way. He lifted a hand to gingerly rub the spot on his cheekbone where her soft lips had pressed.

Kili scowled back in the direction she had come as the boat slowly left the shore of what Laketown once was, his arms crossing at his chest. "What was that about?" He asked as the elleth sat next to him in the boat while Fili and Bofur rowed.

Eäriel raised a brow at his obviously-miffed expression he wore, and she recalled Tauriel had been speaking with him before the brunette's attention was called elsewhere. She mirrored him and also folded her arms. "Jealous?" She returned.

"N-no, of course not… I just don't like how that pointy-ear was lookin' at Tauriel, _and_ you!" Kili stated as he glared again at the shores that were now several miles away from their dinghy.

Fili rolled his eyes at hearing his brother's defensive tone, contributing, "He's the same Elf you talked to back in Mirkwood, too… Can't miss the face of a prat like 'im." He knew their Elf had some connection to that blonde, and for his uncle's sake, he hoped it was nothing beyond friendship.

Eäriel loosely ran a hand through her hair as she refrained from pinching the princes' ears in scolding. "He doesn't look it, but he can be thoughtful when the situation calls for it. Legolas Greenleaf is my friend, and he's as much important in my life as you are. All of you." She explained patiently.

Kili snuffed, a trait he had picked up from his uncle, and a pout formed on his lips. "Can't be as important as _Uncle_, obviously…" He grumbled.

"'Ere, what's he mean by _that_, you wonder?" Bofur wondered as he looked at the younger prince, noticing the lone elleth's cheeks were suddenly pink with embarrassment.

"Well…" Kili began to say when Eäriel clamped a hand on his mouth and said in a strangely high-pitched tone, "Look, we're almost there!" She looked to the shore they neared and smiled brightly to ward off any suspicions, making the other Dwarves look in the same direction.

Kili grumbled when they all departed from the dinghy once reaching shore, looking at the elleth as she made sure her weapons were on her person and had lingered by the boat. "Uncle _does_ fancy you, y'know… Always staring at you and such… Ow, ow, _Eäriel!_" He yelped in pain when she pinched his earlobe in her fingers and set him with a peeved scowl on her brow.

"Your _leg_ is still on the mend, and so it would only be wise if I escort you until we reach the gates. Now come along, young prince…" Eäriel said with thinning patience in her soft voice, dragging him after her lead as she followed Fili, Bofur and Oín with a sulking and complaining Kili in her grasp.

* * *

><p>Eäriel almost skidded to a halt at seeing the great doors of Erebor were knocked down, rubble and broken chunks of rock from the once-sealed entrance remained in the way, though they posed no serious issue. Slightly panting, she recalled that her kind was not accustomed to caves, though if she were to wager, Moria and Erebor were different in terms of claustrophobia. Yet she knew the rest of her friends were inside those halls, and she could only pray they were alive, one member of the Company in particular… Taking a breath, she hurried to make her way through the rubble and rocks in her path to enter Erebor.<p>

None of the Dwarves that accompanied the elleth bothered to ask her to wait, for they were just as eager to enter their old home, the halls of the Great Dwarf Kingdom that had been home to a dragon until the night prior.

The elleth looked at the faint green hue the stone walls around her gave off, shafts of brilliant sunlight that would soon become bleak with the impending winter cold highlighting the higher echelons of stone shelves that the rest of the abandoned kingdom remained. She briefly marveled at the ruins of what was once a beautiful and great kingdom of Dwarves, as she had never visited the realm in her younger days. She had almost pushed the notion of seeing her companions alive to the back of her mind when hearing a familiar small voice say '_wait!_' as the owner of the voice was running towards them from one of the lower staircases that led to the one they walked along.

"Bilbo!" Bofur's voice behind her said in relief at seeing the Hobbit alive, his elation being cut short when said burglar then said between regaining his breath that they needed to leave.

Eäriel's ears perked in alert at his words, and she looked at her friend. "Thorin, where is he?" She asked, watching the curly-haired Halfling manage to regain the wind back into his lungs.

Bilbo straightened with a slight wheeze as he looked up at the elleth to find worry clouding her piercing gaze, and he looked at the other four Dwarves present as he explained, "He's been down there in the treasure hull for days. Won't eat, won't sleep… He's… Eäriel, wait!" He trailed off when the female brushed past him as she ran for the treasure hull.

"Thorin!" She declared, somewhat surprised to hear the anxiousness in her own voice as she called out to her companion, her heart soaring at the evident signs that he was alive as Aulë had answered her prayer. She noticed the golden glow on the walls of the lower staircase and her pace slowed as she came closer to the warm color that bounced off the wall. "Thorin…?" She called again, coming to the last step of the staircase and looking from the gold and gems copiously littering the floors to the rest of the great room, her words escaping her as she halted in her steps to gaze in awe at the vast amount of Dwarvish gold that lay before her. "By Eru!"

A familiar head of dark hair moved through the smaller mounds of gold that only rose to his ribs, donned in a thick deep brown overcoat with wolf fur on the collar, with his hands clasped at his back as he walked. He paused in eyeing the gold around him to see a familiar pair of ice blue eyes staring at him from the last step of the staircase, his darker blue eyes locking on the elleth.

Thorin Oakenshield had never seen an Elf trespass into the halls of Erebor unless summoned by his forefathers for business purposes, yet here a rogue She-Elf stood in his home, her clothes slightly shabby from the hellfire she had endured in Laketown, her long hair pulled back into a low tail… The part of him that had felt joy when she had kissed his forehead that day on the jetty was immensely relieved to see she was alive and standing before him. "Welcome to my home, Eäriel." He said in his familiar low voice she had almost missed to hear, a wry look crossing his rugged features.

"Thorin!" Fili's voice said as he skidded to a halt shortly behind the elleth, Kili closely following with Bilbo, Bofur and Oín at the rear of the group. The older heir's blue eyes were wide as he gazed at the gold around them, before settling on the sight of his uncle alive, his younger brother also sharing in the awe he held.

There was not much of a smile on his face as Thorin greeted his nephews, "Welcome, my sister's-sons, to the treasure hull of Thror." He said with a sweeping hand at the gold around him and before their eyes.

Bilbo's face sported a frown and he dared look over at the She-Elf to see her eyes were on Thorin, yet there was no happiness as he knew she felt at seeing him alive.

Eäriel frowned softly, a thin line on her lips as she recalled what Lord Elrond had said about the Dwarf-king, the madness that had taken the lives of his forefathers…

Life was cruel to have given her a completely-safe Thorin afflicted with gold sickness.

* * *

><p><em>* so yes as you can tell things aren't all hunky-dory; things will lighten up later on, though. fear not my dear readers! lol<em>

_* **3600** **views**! thanks guys! i can't... agh no words to describe this! ;D_

_* also, the last paragraph where Thorin welcomes Eäriel into his home, i s2cow i was thinking of that scene in F.F. Copola's Dracula where Gary Oldman welcomes Keanu Reeves into his castle.. if you're looking for some humor in this chap, just think of that scene if you want. lD ok im done._


	14. Straining the Tides

Her slender fingers traced the dust-covered lines of a mural that had been carved out of stone that appeared to be a shade lighter than the dark slate color of the walls of the dining hall. She could find no rest even after withstanding the hellfire of a dragon's wrath and nearly running all the way to the gates of Erebor the day prior. And while she had felt relief at seeing the remaining nine Dwarves had also survived, talking with them about the events that had befallen both groups the night Smaug was awakened and slain into the wee hours of the night, sleep did not come.

She was anxious around him, to add more firewood to the flames… Tauriel's words echoed again and again in her head as she remained awake, listening to the Dwarves and Bilbo sleeping around her in the dusty dining hall, the faint footsteps of Thorin below as he still walked among the gold in the treasure hull, anxiously searching for the Arkenstone.

Eäriel longed for the simpler nights where they were still traveling in the Wild, the laughs and warmth she found were far better than the joys she felt with her kin, the last night she had spoken privately with Thorin… His declaration that he would protect her from Smaug's fire… She shook her head fervently as her wandering hand crumpled into a fist, her nails digging into the bindings of her gauntlet that protected her palm.  
><em><br>I must be completely mental_, she thought as she slipped out of the dining hall to make her way down to the treasury, her boots making no noise as she went, her keen eyes seeing in the darkness she had quickly grown accustomed to.

The halls of Erebor at night were nearly as dark as the halls of Moria during the day.

"You need sleep." The elleth commented as she found him still walking among the gold, her quiet footsteps having gone unnoticed, and she watched him look in her direction with patient blue eyes.

The Dwarf-king huffed softly at her words, his arms crossing at his chest. "Yet you refrain from heeding your own advice." He knew Elves did not require as much sleep as Dwarves, Men and Hobbits did, yet knowing she had gone through literal hell without him was enough grounds to find a peaceful sleep.

"I can't sleep… My mind will not allow it." Eäriel returned quietly, looking at a particularly tall pile of gems and gold on her right and reaching to gingerly lift a thin diadem of silver and what appeared to be emeralds, staring at the fine craft with some measure of fondness for how delicate the headpiece appeared.

"I do not doubt that, as you've lived centuries longer than I have on this world…" Thorin snuffed, momentarily admiring the gold's amber glow that encased her thin frame, highlighting the long mane of brown hair that looked auburn in the amber light.

"I'm glad you're safe… I truly am, Thorin." She said, perking his ears.

He looked at her to see her eyes were no longer on the diadem but on his own stare, blue meeting blue. He had thought long on her standing, how she had not claimed a home in Rivendell and certainly not in the Woodland Realm, and even as he stared at her, those thoughts ran through his mind… "Stay here. In Erebor… With us." Lack of sleep must be working like the devil on his brain as he thought on what had just come out of his mouth.

Eäriel's eyes widened slightly at his offer, and she saw reality sink down onto his shoulders as he seemed to be thinking of what he had just said, what he had just offered… Her cheeks warmed as all thoughts of anxiety were pushed to the back of her mind. "I am not a Dwarf… You wouldn't want an Elf living under the same mountain with you, Thorin…" Her subconscious was kicking her for declining his generous offer, the rational part of her mind spearheading the words that passed her lips.

"I want you here _with_ _me_, Eäriel… And I will not take '_no_' for an answer." Thorin declared sharply, seeing surprise fill her eyes at his affirmation; he _did_ want her with him, with his kin, as he knew she was happiest with them, that she had nowhere else to call home except to be with him.

"Thorin." Her widened eyes slowly calmed and she smiled when recognizing he still retained his sanity, even if it was only semblances of what he had… "I will stay with you, then." She knew she would outlive him, as Dwarves were not blessed with immortality like Elves, and while this saddened her, the surprise and flattery that she felt towards Thorin's request for her to remain in Erebor greatly outweighed the sadness.

A smile slowly formed on his lips as he nodded; the same part of him that still fondly recalled the kiss to his forehead in Laketown was relieved and euphoric at hearing she did not refuse him, that she wished to stay. "I'm glad you're safe, as well, Eäriel." He said quietly. 

* * *

><p>It had been a day or two since Dwalin had said the survivors of Laketown had taken shelter in the ruins of Dale, and only a day since Thorin had demanded the front gates of Erebor be sealed by the stones that had fallen when Smaug left the mountain.<p>

Eäriel shivered slightly as she passed by the dining hall, on break from keeping watch over Dale as she was to take the night shift to relieve Nori from his afternoon watch. Her feet were the only thing being kept warm and because of this plus the staleness in the air of Erebor's halls, she knew winter had finally come. Aside from her protected feet from the toe to the shin, she was cold.

"Eäriel, there you are!" Bilbo said as he had found her on the second stairwell landing leading from the dining hall, seeing her pause and look at him, glancing from his brown eyes to the parcel he had in hand as he jogged towards her.

"Bilbo, I thought you were on the lower halls with the boys…" Eäriel greeted with a raised brow, curious to what he had on hand.

"I left because Thorin was in one of his moods again…" The Hobbit answered with a rather glum tone to his voice that made the She-Elf frown softly at, before he looked at her again and smiled for her. "I noticed you didn't wear anything warm, and you know how cold it gets in a mountain when winter comes, so I found this in one of the rooms on a floor above the dining hall." He said as he unfolded the clothing from being tucked against his chest to present it to his friend.

Her eyes took in the deep green leather coat that had thick gray wolf fur lining the collar, the sleeves seeming as though they would come short of her elbows; while she wanted to frown at the otherwise-assorted dead animals being sewn together to create the coat, she only smiled fondly at the Halfling's thoughtful gesture. "Thank you, Bilbo… I'm surprised the old wardrobes managed to stay intact even after sixty years." She said with a slight chuckle, taking the coat from his hands and slipping it on, finding the sleeves did indeed reach an inch or two below the elbow. Pulling her hair free from being inside the confines of the coat, she smiled again at Bilbo before glancing below them at the treasure hull, the amber glow still vibrant against the stone walls below their level. "It is almost like Thorin's; shame he left it back in Mirkwood…" She huffed, the smile having faltered.

Bilbo sighed slightly through his nostrils in mutual agreement with her feelings she had for their ailing companion, looking at her. "Balin mentioned it would only get worse, if he were to find the Arkenstone." He said this even as she had already assumed as such and was saddened for it.

"Aye, I figured that…" Eäriel quieted as a thought came to mind, and she looked at her friend slowly. "You never said if you found it when you met Smaug." She said softly, perking his ears.

Blinking at hearing her suddenly pensive voice, the Hobbit felt as if her ice blue eyes were digging into his own brown eyes, and he gave a wry nervous laugh. "Ah-um, well, nothing much, really, except fire and…" He was cut off when she took his hand and ushered him into the empty dining hall, near the mural she had been admiring a couple of nights ago. "E-Eäriel…"

"You used your magic trick to sneak it past Smaug… You've kept it this whole time, haven't you?" She asked in the same soft voice though it was now filled with a knowing tone.

He felt his ears burn slightly at being caught, yet he was relieved that it was the She-Elf that found out, and not Thorin… He nodded. "Y-yes, I have. I've been trying to find the right moment to give it to him, but, well…" He trailed off as she looked away to examine the mural behind him with a wry smile on her face. "Eäriel?"

"I am glad that you found it instead of him… You have no idea how relieved I feel." _Even though Thorin will not stop as he won't find the Arkenstone_, she thought, the smile faltering as she stared at the carvings. "He will worsen with or without that stone, Bilbo." Even as she said this, she winced.

Bilbo lowered his gaze with a bob of his head as he felt the same sadness she did, albeit she felt it worse than he because of her feelings towards the Dwarf-king. "I know."

Eäriel exhaled softly before perking an ear when hearing the voices of their friends on a lower floor, at the rampart that had been constructed the day Thorin found out about the survivors of Laketown. "Something's up. C'mon," she looked at Bilbo as he nodded, seeming to have heard the same thing, before they both rushed to the rampart.

Bilbo stopped short of seeing the twelve Dwarves standing just behind Thorin as he was leaning against the constructed wall with a frown on his brow. He looked up when seeing a flash of green as the elleth had rushed past him to ascend the rampart and look down below.

Eäriel perked up to see the familiar head of dark hair that belonged to Bard as he was retreating to the ruins of Dale on a white horse, the clattering of the steed's hooves slowly growing fainter as its rider rode farther and farther away from Erebor's gates. "Bard…" She recalled the promise Thorin had struck with the Master of Laketown, giving a part of the gold to rebuild the hollow dreary shell that the now-ruined Esgaroth was…

"You promised them!"

Thorin watched his kinsmen stiffen slightly at the female voice that came from their She-Elf, and as he paused in place, he turned to look up at her as she descended the stairwell of the rampart only to hop over the last few steps in her way. Her mane of brown hair billowed softly behind her but in her eyes he only saw disbelief towards what he had just done. "So good of you to join us, Eäriel. I had feared you'd gotten lost in the halls." He greeted blandly.

"You promised that town you would give them gold to restore Esgaroth… I was there, I heard you with my own ears! I _vouched_ for you, for Aulë's sake…"

"Aye, you did! What is your point, Wanderer?"

"You sent Bard away with his tail between his legs, no gold whatsoever on his person or his horse's saddle. You did not uphold your word, Thorin Oakenshield!"

A sharp glare overcame his bearded face as the Dwarf-king turned fully to address the angered She-Elf. "You know as well as I that those despicable Men would become greedy if they saw just how much gold still resides in this kingdom. I would not give one piece of it to those pathetic people…"

"Do you even _hear_ yourself? You are not yourself! You are riddled!" She exclaimed with a saddened grimace marring her lovely face.

"_Don't you dare address me in that manner; I allowed you to stay in my halls! You will __**bow**__ to your king!_" He snarled, the part of him that had missed her, now drowning in his anger, recoiled when seeing her eyes slowly begin to fill with tears.

"The Thorin Oakenshield I gave my services to that day in Moria is kind, noble… He did not hesitate to give aid to those in need, those that _helped him_ in some way or another! …The Thorin Oakenshield that _I love_ would **_never_** demand that I bow to him because he wears a crown on his head!" Eäriel's voice was hoarse as she stared at him with sadness and disbelief as the tears slowly began to fall; she had hoped what she said would be of some sort of impact on his life, on his thoughts…

But all she saw was an irate glare, frustration for the scene she had created showing prominently in his stormy blue eyes.

Thorin stood still, firmly set in his anger with her, even as she closed her eyes for a brief moment to brush past him as she ran into the darkened halls of Erebor; even as he pretended he didn't just watch her leave from his sight, he still heard a soft sob come from her as she fled. 

* * *

><p>Eäriel was up earlier than the Dwarves, the next morning. Her long legs dangled over the lip of the constructed wall as Hathelas rested in her lap, slender fingers gripping the brown hilt and scabbard now and then. She had not gone near Thorin since their argument, refusing to go near him and avoiding him as best as possible.<p>

She briefly thought of running, forsaking the friends she'd made in the Sons of Durin to run from the pain of rejection. But where could she go, she wondered?

Imladris was too peaceful, and while she knew just being back in the Elven settlement would only alleviate her painful reaction to being rejected, it would only be temporary.

She did not know where Gandalf was, and frankly she missed his company; between he and Bilbo, she had some sense of calm and stability.

And she would rather die than retreat to the Woodland Realm. It would be no different than living with an ailing Thorin if she were to stomach living in the same kingdom as Thranduil.

Eäriel could go nowhere. She had hardly a thing to regret in her long life, yet she would admit this was probably one of the things she would feel regret for.

So it was somewhat of a surprise to see such a sight before her as the day came just over the top of the mountain, spilling past the rough terrain and covering the valley and Dale's ruins in a warm blue light. A large host of Elves, clad in bronze armor and weapons, stood in the niches of stone that still held strong, stock-still like mailed statues, and she could hear the familiar noises of weapons clanging in spars and being sharpened, honed for battle.

"Thranduil." She breathed, gritting her teeth for a moment before swinging her legs over the lip of the rampart railing, rushing down the steps at top speed to find the Dwarves. She distinctly heard his familiar low voice in one side room only a floor or so above the armory, speaking quietly as if to himself, and she darted into the room only to skid to a halt when seeing the Dwarf-king was holding up a necklace of beautiful white gems that she had briefly considered to be forged from stars. "…The gems of Lasgalen?" She had heard of the gems here and there, and now that she thought on it, Thranduil had wished to have them in his kingdom, as they were the only remnant he had of the late Lady of the Woodland Realm… Legolas' mother.

Thorin stiffened when hearing the soft awe-filled tone of the She-Elf's voice, and his stare quickly found hers over his shoulder. "What is it, Elf?" He demanded, his tone sharp even as his voice was a quiet rumble.

Eäriel faltered slightly when seeing she had gained his attention and Gloin's as well as he had been helping him count the jewels for some reason or another. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she nodded her chin in the direction she'd come, a grim tone entering her voice, "We've got company."

As soon as the rest of the Company was gathered, they ascended the rampart to see her grim words held truth after all. The Elves that were standing in the niches of the outer stone walls of Dale were poised with an arrow notched in their bows as the majority of Thranduil's forces occupied the valley, along with a mixture of soldiers that appeared to be from Laketown, as their king and Bard rode to the thin stone bridge connecting Erebor's gates to the valley between both city and kingdom.

Thranduil's battle-elk slowed to a trot just as Thorin's notched arrow streaked to hit the stone an inch or two away from the elk's right hoof, making the Elvenking halt.

"I would not seek to negotiate with an enemy at my doorstep!" Thorin said clearly, low voice carrying a fierce edge to it as his words were meant in the main for Thranduil.

Eäriel frowned even as she kept her place near Bifur, looking below as Thranduil sported a smug look on his face. _What's he planning…?_ She thought, knowing that even when she lived in the Woodland Realm, she had never wished to pry into his mind; she imagined it was as cold and cynical as the Elvenking.

"Payment of your debt has already been offered… and accepted!" Thranduil said triumphantly, as if he wished to rub it in the Dwarf-king's face, and he eyed the surprised looks from both Dwarf-king and the rogue She-Elf when Bard reached inside his coat to withdraw the shining stone that had been given as payment of their debt.

"Thieves!" Kili cried in anger and disbelief.

"The Arkenstone…" She whispered quietly, jerking her stare over to Thorin as she watched his emotions displayed shift from horror to a seething rage, the lattermost one emotion she did not wish to be on the receiving end of.

"It's not real. A mockery, a bloody sham… _A filthy lie!_" Thorin snarled angrily to the haughty king below.

"No, it's real!"

The elleth's heart sank into the stone beneath her feet as she closed her eyes for a brief moment of exasperation before opening them to see little Bilbo walking towards a thoroughly shocked Thorin; she did not need to see the Dwarf-king's face to know he would soon show just how he felt towards what the Hobbit had just done.

"…You are _changed_, Thorin. The Dwarf I met in Bag End wouldn't go back on his word!" The Halfling's words were sharp as he scowled in pity towards the Dwarf-king.

Thorin shook his head slightly as the anger boiled over inside him, turning all he saw to red. "Throw him from the ramparts!" He commanded, glaring at his kinsmen as not a one would obey him, all too shocked to even step forth. "I will do it myself, then! Curse you, you Halfling!" He growled as he grabbed the Hobbit's scruff then and dragged him to throw him over the ledge.

"_NO!_" A familiar slender hand yanked his grip off the Hobbit just then, and Thorin drew back with a snarl only to come face-to-face with Eäriel.

"**MOVE**!" Thorin bellowed, glowering at her with hatred in his eyes as she had shielded her friend with her thin body, her lower lip slightly trembling yet there was a defiant cold fire in her piercing eyes as she protected the ex-burglar.

"You will not touch him!" Eäriel hissed coldly, her low voice showing the cracks her warring emotions showed, standing protectively infront of Bilbo even as Thorin snarled at her in anger, keeping her defiant glare on her face even as she added in a curbed and softer tone, "Thorin, please… This is not who you are, this isn't **_you_**."

"My dear Eäriel, you have no idea how right you are!"

The elleth shuddered in relief at hearing the familiar wise voice of the Wizard, as she knew he had finally come. She moved both Bilbo and herself out of Thorin's way as he strode forward to look over the railing of the rampart. "Go, hurry… I will be fine." She whispered as she gently pushed the Halfling away towards the end of the rampart where Bofur was, sparing Bilbo a warm smile when he looked back at her before he fled.

"You're not looking the convincing part of a king, Thorin!" Gandalf the Grey added knowingly, looking up just then as a caw sounded, a black-feathered raven flying overhead to land on the lip of the railing next to the Dwarf-king's face.

Eäriel looked at the raven and then at Thorin to see elation and a certain smugness show in his face, looking to the left-hand side of rock and rough terrain that surrounded the mountain. She did not need to squint to see the sunlight glinting off the iron-armored soldiers that slowly came into view, a figure with red hair leading the charge of, from what she could count, a little less than a thousand Dwarves from the Iron Hills that started to come to a halt not but several hundred yards short of Thranduil's host. "Lord Dain!" She looked at Thranduil's host as he commanded they turn to face the Iron Hills Dwarvish army while the Company on the rampart cheered for the impressive entrance of Dain Ironfoot… She had always preferred Thorin to his utterly-bullheaded cousin.

Just lovely.

"Good mornin'! How are we all?" Dain greeted cheerily as if he was not the opposing force against the Mirkwood Elves, bringing his battle-hog to a halt as he briefly surveyed the host of pointy-ears, his own host coming to a halt not far behind him with a collective '_clank_' of metal. "I've got a wee proposition for ya, if y'don't mind taking the time… Wouldja consider _just. **sodding**. **off**!?_" He yelled out the last three words, making some of the soldiers in the frontlines flinch before being reminded to stand tall. "All of ya, right now!"

"Come now, Lord Dain!" Gandalf declared as he moved forward to try and appease the Dwarf-lord's ire, bowing his head slightly when the redhead acknowledged him.

"Tell this rabble to leave, or I'll water the ground with their blood!" Dain snapped.

"There is no need for war between Dwarves, Men and Elves! A legion of Orcs march on the Mountain; have your army stand down!" Gandalf requested as he stepped closer to the Dwarf-lord.

Dain snorted, "I will do _no_ such thing, lest of all before any _Elf_; especially this faithless woodland sprite! He only holds nothing but contempt for my people! If he chooses to stand between me and my kin… _I'll split his pretty little skull open!_" Eäriel refrained from slapping her forehead at his words. "See if he's still _smirking_ then!" He cried, making another cheer rise up from his kinsmen on the rampart.

"He's obviously mad, like his cousin!" Thranduil scoffed, the cold smirk still present on his features.

"Y'hear that, lads? We're on!" Dain exclaimed as he turned his steed to race before the frontlines of his soldiers, "Let's give these bastards a good hammerin'!" He yelled out a command in Khuzdul next, motioning his forces to charge forth with their spears drawn and a simultaneous battle cry to come forth from their ranks.

Eäriel looked sharply to the Elves as there was a simultaneous shift in the frontlines, the spear-wielders drawing back behind the shield-wielders. Her eyes widened slowly as she knew neither side would give in, neither side was willing to die for the sake of peaceful negotiations… They would kill each other over the jewels and gold in Erebor.

A loud battle horn rang out just then, earning all eyes to look in the direction of the rocky side incline of the mountain, the ground shaking a smidge before a creature with several gaping maws full with sharp teeth burst forth from the earth. Another beast shattered the earth as it mirrored the first beast's motion, another and another and another following suit until there were five large tunnels that scarred the rough terrain. She watched in some measure of shock as hundreds upon thousands of Orcs marched onto the battlefield.

Valar's sake… This was _definitely_ going to get ugly. 

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><p><em>* <strong>3800<strong> **Views**. C'mon guys, almost 4k! i'm verrrry happy about this xDD and many thanks to the latest batch of follows/ faves that you guys gave lately. all of it's just... agh, i can't thank you enough! (: i will say just as a token of thanks, i'm submitting this chapter tonight instead of originally waiting until tomorrow night.. hope you enjoyed! _

_* as you can tell this chap was another prologue of sorts for the upcoming shitstorm in the next chapter or so.. dunno, still ironing things out but i do like how it's going so far. and yes, Eäriel said the '**L**' word.. oh noes, what will happen next? only Eru knows.. _


	15. We Are the Brave

She had left the sanctity of the Woodland Realm sixty years ago to give aid to the Sons of Durin, to help them take back the ancient Dwarrowdelf Moria. She had shed countless blood of Orcs with the sole intent to honor the old alliance between Dwarves and Elves, to have both sides see reason before they obliterated the other's race.

She wanted peace… Yet now all she saw was war, war being waged against the Orcs of Gundabad, the foolhardy charge of Iron Hills soldiers led by Dain that only seemed to dwindle his numbers. Thranduil's soldiers were faring not as badly, though he was still losing men.

"Who's going down there with me?" Bofur asked as his question pulled her from her thoughts, looking at his kinsmen with excitement.

"Stand down." Shocked looks rounded on Thorin as he spoke before anyone else could, and he added, "Noone leaves the mountain." He turned to leave the rampart to retreat to the throne room.

Kili glared after his uncle and made to rush after him when a hand grabbed his shoulder, and he looked up from the slender hand fastened to his coat to see Eäriel had stopped him, brown meeting blue for one moment.

Eäriel looked out at the battlefield before them, the stench of spilled blood muddled with Dwarf, Orc and Elf, with a frown on her face that was a mix of sadness and anger. While the selfish part of her was glad for Thorin's refusal to step onto the battlefield, the part of her that ached to help her comrades, the adrenaline brought on by the swinging of her sword and fired arrows, was furious. She slid her eyes closed and released Kili, starting to descend the rampart.

"You will not fight either, Eäriel?" Kili demanded behind her, perking her ears, as she hesitated to take a second step down the stairs. He watched her look at him firstly, and then glance at the other Dwarves behind him, blue meeting brown again. "Will you not aid them?"

"I said I would not risk letting the Line of Durin fall… I have a promise to keep, Kili." Eäriel answered softly, yet even as she said this, he could see she held sadness in her eyes for those whose lives were now lost on the battlefield below them. She turned away to continue walking, her back seeming smaller as she went. 

* * *

><p>The hours may as well have been days, the minutes as hours.<p>

She had long since turned her attention away from the fallen below the gates of Erebor, a muddled count of Orcs, Dwarves and Elves, for if she kept looking at the death toll increase, it would only serve to grieve her already frustrated heart.

And she knew she was not alone.

If the frustration was not shared by the twelve Dwarves with her, the Dwarves she had protected and tried her hardest to keep safe while en route to Erebor, then it was mostly shared between the two heirs to the throne.

Fili was quieter about it, but she knew he had been growing weary of his uncle's lost senses; Kili was not as subtle about it as his older brother, and if he wasn't glaring in the direction said Dwarf-king had gone, he was pacing.

Eäriel did not have the heart to coax the younger heir to calm his nerves, for she felt just as frustrated, if not worse after what she had put herself through within the last few days.

So it surprised everyone present when the source of their frustration came forth from further down the hall, which led to the Hall of the Kings as she had learned. She jumped to her feet in slight alarm, muscles tensing for whatever was going to come of their resurfaced leader, yet it was not she who walked forward to meet him.

"**I will not stand here and let others fight our battles** **for us**!" Kili shouted with a banked fire that was now lashing out at his uncle, a glare on his young face as he prepared himself for whatever came from the older Dwarf, nearing him even as his resolve was slowly chipping beneath the surface. "It is not in my blood, Thorin… You know this." He added firmly, his voice showing a few cracks here and there.

But his uncle did not yell, he did not grow angered; instead he stopped short of his nephew's frustrated and determined state, an apology in his eyes and on his bearded face. "No it isn't… We are the Sons of Durin, and Durin's folk do not retreat from a fight." A smile slowly formed on his lips as he watched the emotions well and slightly sting at the younger prince's brown eyes.

The older prince felt relief wash over him as it had the night the two She-Elves had snatched Kili from death's door when seeing his uncle gently bump foreheads with his little brother, and he couldn't help but glance at their She-Elf to see her hands were slightly shaking at her sides and he could swear her lower lip trembled even for a fraction of a second.

Thorin Oakenshield looked on his kinsmen, from the oldest to the youngest, with an apology on his face and in his eyes and Kili and Dwalin on either side of him. "I have no right to ask this of any of you… But will you follow me, one last time?" He asked slowly, his eyes sweeping over the ten sets of eyes of his kinsmen.

One by one, the Dwarves lifted their weapons in a sign of agreement with their king.

His stormy blue eyes finally fell on the elleth standing just a bit behind Fili, and he inwardly recoiled at seeing tears were gathering in her piercing blue orbs. He slightly stiffened when she stepped forward, and he now recognized the relief, euphoria, and fading frustration that was jumbled and mixed up inside her as it showed prominently in her lovely face. "Eäriel, I…" He began to say as he took a step closer to her, recalling that night she had argued with him for the sake of the men of Laketown, her tears she had shed that night… Those moments that had happened between them where their bickering was set aside to let peace come between them, a Dwarf and an Elf, her fond smiles she would give and particularly that night she had danced in the light of the fire to get back at him for his petty comment… Her words that were sharp sometimes, but they were wise and made things clearer even if he never told her that she was correct, her past she had shown and explained, hoping and praying that he would understand her instead of judge her for her pointed ears…

She loved him.

Eäriel the Wanderer was confident, honest, compassionate, and stubborn as any Dwarf. Yet he had rejected her love for the sake of gold, of the Arkenstone, he had yelled at her and judged her and hated her for getting in his way when he all-but-acted like an Orc.

He had promised he would protect her, been glad when she had been spared from death in the Woodland Realm the day they were brought before the Elvenking, even been jealous of that blonde pointy-ear prince she had befriended…

By Mahal, he loved her.

A hollow '_thwack_' sounded, making the other Dwarves wince slightly; Thorin blinked once before he lifted a hand to rub the now-throbbing place she had hit with her slender hand, stubby fingers gingerly holding his temple.

Eäriel's lower lip slightly trembled again when he met her eyes, before she pulled him close and crushed his sturdier body against her thin one as she embraced him tightly. "You're back." She said softly, her voice hoarse, as she curled her fingers in his black hair.

Thorin ignored the heat in his cheeks at being held so close to her chest, distinctly hearing a sniffle from her as relief washed over him; he cracked a smile, his thicker arms wrapping around her small waist as he returned the embrace, closing his eyes.

Fili and Kili shared a knowing look even as Balin ushered them to another room to give the two a moment of privacy; the white-haired Dwarf didn't see the happy grins on the princes' faces.

"I should not have yelled at you, or demanded your loyalty. I am sorry for what I've put you through." Thorin admitted as they pulled apart and she wiped her eyes gingerly, for a moment hating that he had been the cause for her tears.

Sniffing slightly, Eäriel shook her head, finding a large chunk of stone near her and sitting, looking at him. "You are yourself again, there's nothing to apologize for…" She said quietly.

Thorin cut her off sharply, "_Yes_ _there is_. Smaug attacked that town and it was because **I** set him loose! I did not keep my promise to protect you from that foul thing…"

"_Thorin_." She said patiently, watching his frowning face sober up as his shoulders slumped with a steady exhale. "_That_ was going to happen no matter what, love. You can't avoid the inevitable forever…" A small grin tugged at her lips as she added, "You didn't need to protect me anyway, as you forget that I _am_ an Elf." She tilted her head a smidge.

He started to open his mouth again and contradict her when he saw her grin, and he gave a groan as he lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "Even if you are, you're the most reckless Elf I've ever met! I swear half the time I'm not sure what to _do_ with you, Eäriel." He said in exasperation, looking at her as she gently tugged on his hand to bring it down, her slender fingers holding onto his calloused fingers, and a look of fondness slowly dawned on his features.

"You could start with having care of how you speak to someone who loves you." She said with a cheeky edge to her calm voice, yet when her eyes lifted to meet his, there was sincerity and hope present. "After that, it's on you." She added with a slight shrug.

His gaze remained fond even as he shook his head with a chuckle. "I am sure it's only by that confidence that you can be so nonchalant with your king." He remarked with a slight smile.

She smiled gently even as her ears burned pink at his reminder, and she squeezed his hand. "_Submissive_ is not in my vocabulary, my dear king, otherwise I would not be a strong as I am." She chuckled, gingerly releasing his hand to let him retrieve it.

"_Nor_ as bull-headed." Thorin snuffed, making her laugh quietly, and he smiled again at hearing her laugh as he had missed it almost as much as he missed her. "I would not go into battle without my confident elleth fighting alongside me." He mused, perking her ears.

Eäriel tilted her head slightly before a true smile formed on her lips and she nodded. "Well then, I do think Lord Dain has seen enough battle for today… Of course he **is** your cousin." She chuckled and straightened from the stone she sat on, winking at him before tilting her head in the direction the others went, "Oi, you can come out now!" She sang.

Kili and Fili were the first to poke their heads out into the open before the rest of the Company returned to the main hall, the princes embracing their She-Elf as she giggled quietly and hugged back just as tight.

"We were at least expecting you to snog her, Uncle!" Kili jibed when they pulled apart, only to be backhanded reproachfully by said female, wincing and rubbing his head. "O-ow…"

Thorin rolled his eyes and smirked proudly at the pouting face of his She-Elf who was securing her weapons were present and accounted for, huffing. "S' not something meant for virgin eyes to see, Kili." He returned.

Fili smirked at the pout on his brother's face, slapping him gently on the back and looking at his uncle. "So what's the plan?" He asked, glad things were back to normal for them.

Eäriel looked to Thorin with a raised brow. 

* * *

><p>"Gandalf!" Bilbo could not believe what he was seeing, and yet he felt immensely relieved at the sight in the distance, adding, "Look; the Dwarves, they're rallying!"<p>

Gandalf gave a relieved sigh as he also looked at the spectacle in the valley, the Dwarves that were making a V-formation as they charged the hordes of Orcs. "They're rallying to their king!" He squinted slightly when distinctly seeing a head of brown hair that stood taller than the Dwarves surrounding her, the lone elleth slicing and cutting down the Orcs that stood in the way of her comrades… He chuckled. "I have never seen her so happy." He mused aloud, earning a look from the Hobbit.

Bilbo followed his gaze with widened eyes as he could now see the female warrior keeping near Thorin and Kili and Fili, and he smiled. "Eäriel."

Two more Orcs roared as they charged forth at the elleth even as she finished slaying a rather taller Orc; blue eyes flashing, she rushed them and stabbed her long knife's blade into the first Orc's chest, Hathelas' teal blade severing the head clean from the second Orc, further dirtying the Elvish blades she wielded. Eäriel panted slightly and kicked the stabbed Orc away with a foot, ducking low in time for another taller Orc to swing its crude mace at where her head had once been. She drew back with a disgusted glare on her brow as the taller Orc swung again, bleak sunlight winking off her blades as she lunged, pinning the Orc's mace-wielding arm down with a boot before climbing onto the beast's broad back. With a grunt of effort, she stabbed both blades deeply into the Orc's head, twisting the blades viciously before yanking them free as the tall Orc fell to the ground. She hopped off to land steadily just a few feet away, looking to see a hint of red hair as the Dwarf-lord was intercepted from meeting his cousin by a tall Orc. Smirking wryly at seeing the Lord of the Iron Hills hadn't lost an ounce of his fire, she sheathed her knife and Hathelas to quickly notch an arrow in her bow, firing at the Orc that flew forward at Dain, slightly surprised when Thorin's Orcrist severed the beast's head.

Eäriel smirked fondly when their eyes met and she gave a nod to the Dwarf-king, the smirk falling when she fired another arrow at the Orc that lunged at him from behind, felling the beast as the two cousins reunited.

Another Orc attempted to attack Dain from behind when a head of brown hair beat the beast back with her bow as a club, earning a look from the redhead Dwarf even as he noted she ripped the throat open of the fell beast with her long knife. "I see ya still have yer She-Elf, cousin!" He said wryly.

Thorin chuckled and smirked fondly at said female as she fired another arrow at an Orc in the distance. "Aye hasn't changed much!" He returned.

"Nice seein' you again, Lord Dain!" Eäriel sang as she turned to the two Dwarves with a grin and bits of Orc blood on her brightened face.

Another Orc snarled as it flew at her from the left before being felled with a well-placed arrow in its gaping maw, being knocked down as she rushed forth and used its head for a kick-off, right boot jabbing sharply into the ribs of another beast, her knife in her free hand as she severed the kicked Orc's head cleanly from the shoulders. Landing in a slight crouch on the ground, she panted slightly and looked up as four more Orcs flew at her, two from the front and one on each side. "I'm reliving the Battle of Azanulbizar all over again!" Eäriel laughed wryly, returning her bow only to redraw Hathelas with her favored long knife gripped tight in her left hand as she ducked the sharp swings of both Orcs from the sides, breaking the footing of the first and stabbing into the belly of the second, long knife in hand as she stabbed its blade sharply into the forehead of the first one. The third Orc raised its crude sword and swung down only to be blocked with her Elvish blade; swiftly ripping the heart out of the stupid beast, she yanked her blade out to chuck it at the fourth Orc's frontal lobe, knocking both to the ground. She sneered at the dead Orcs and retrieved her long knife, yanking it out of the last Orc's head and stomping a boot onto its throat when the body twitched. "Foul ilk." She growled.

"Eäriel, c'mon!" A voice said from the left before there was a clattering of hooves and she barely had time to register the head of blonde riding a battle ram, hopping onto the steed's back and clinging to the prince's waist. Fili smiled at the elleth at his back, "Didn't think we were going to leave you here, did you?" He wondered.

Eäriel smiled back and huffed before ducking her head as he swung his sword at an Orc that tried to hit them. "Like you lot could bring yourselves to leave me behind!" She laughed, long knife extended as she severed the head of another Orc that tried to get at her, looking over the blonde's head to see the towers coming closer to them, her eyes sharpening. "Ravenhill." 

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><p><em>* erghhhh the show's winding down, duckies... i'm nervous! yet i will press on! also, many thanks to <strong>Spirit Kiss<strong> for the suggestions! (: and **4300** **views**! wow thanks guys~_

_* i'm glad for the battle scenes ngl it's been a while when i last wrote one.. all in all i'm satisfied with this chap. _


	16. Daniel In the Den (Smile, Eäriel)

Thorin ducked as an Orc swung its blade at his head, perking up slightly when an Elvish long knife was thrown at the Orc, felling the beast with the blade protruding from its forehead. He looked to the blade's owner and nodded, recalling the day they first met for a brief moment, save that she smiled back before turning to stab the teal-glowing Hathelas into the sternum of one of the straggler Orcs. He pulled the curved knife from the head of the dead beast, smirking wryly at recalling she had scolded him for doubting the skill of Elvish blades… He hadn't admitted she was right, that day, either.

"Azog isn't here…" Dwalin growled in frustration near him once the straggler Orcs were dead, pulling his friend from his thoughts, before the bald Dwarf strode to look about the now-silent tower as Thorin tossed the knife back to its owner who caught it expertly.

Eäriel wiped her face of black blood with the side of her arm, looking to the second tower across the river, the surface frozen over with a layer of ice at least a foot thick, her eyes squinting past the cold wind that blew. "I don't see anything on the other tower… Still, it's not safe to assume that filth has turned tail again." She said with a huff, looking at the four Dwarves with her. Her ears perked and she sheathed Hathelas and her long knife, her bow on hand. "We've got trouble…" She looked to see Dwalin returning shortly with a wry look on his face.

"The lass is right; goblin mercenaries, no less than a hundred of them!" The Dwarf warrior agreed, turning to the wall he had just finished seeing over.

Thorin glared in the same direction as the elleth loaded an arrow, looking at his nephews, "We can handle them. Fili, take your brother and scout that tower. If you come across anything, don't fight; report back to me, both of you." He instructed, earning twin nods from the princes.

"Be careful!" Eäriel declared as they took off, her notched arrow flying to pierce the first goblin's forehead, another arrow leaving her quiver as she fired again at another gruesome little beast that attempted to get at Dwalin's left, using her bow as a club as the solid wood connected with a third goblin's skull, hearing a sickening '_crack_' sound just as the little beast was sent flying.

A rock was thrown at another goblin that flew at her from the right, connecting with the beast's head and sending it flying off the tower; she whirled around in surprise to see a familiar head of curly hair… "Bilbo!" Eäriel beamed in relief that the Hobbit hadn't died in battle as she had hoped he hadn't, notching an arrow in her bow and firing again at a goblin that tried to get at the Halfling, seeing him smile in thanks before he threw another rock at a goblin coming from the left.

"Bilbo!" Thorin said in surprise and relief as he had beaten back another goblin, looking at the ex-burglar.

"There's another army coming from the north… more Orcs!" Bilbo reported as he ducked in time to avoid being hit with Eäriel's bow as she beat back another goblin, earning a rather surprised look from both Dwarves present.

Once the goblins were dead and their bodies lay on the cold stone of the tower's stairwell, she could hear it now, the low noise that would've been caught at an earlier time by her sensitive ears had she not been preoccupied... Her eyes sharpened.

Thorin looked at her as Eäriel's piercing blue eyes looked to the second tower, and while he had never seen the emotion displayed on the battlefield before, he saw fear in her paled face. "Eäriel…"

"Fili!" She cried, and both Dwarves and Bilbo looked at the second tower as a tall figure of an Orc came out from the shadows of the top of the tower, taking the form of Azog.

The Gundabad Orc grinned malignantly at the trio on the other tower, keeping his grip fast on the struggling Dwarf he had dragged out into the open. The surprised She-Elf could not understand much of Black Speech, but she knew even as horror filled her chest that Azog had gained an upper hand on them. Her blue eyes widened as Azog dragged a beaten and scuffed up Fili forward, gripping his scruff.

Noone on the first tower needed to know Black Speech to know Azog was going to kill the prince.

Eäriel shut her eyes tightly when hearing Fili's last words before she heard a sickening '_shunk_' sound, a muffled '_thud_' shortly following the first noise. Angered tears stung at her eyes as she opened them and glared up at Azog with a silent rage illuminating her face, vengeance for the felled blonde Dwarf screaming in her blood… She perked up as a growl of anger came from some lower part of the second tower before recognizing a head of dark hair rushing to the stairs leading upwards… "KILI!"

Bilbo, Dwalin and Thorin could not stop the elleth as she rushed forward to jump off the ledge of the stairwell, scrambling as fast as possible while on the slippery ice of the river to rush into the second tower.

* * *

><p>Valar's sake, not today… She couldn't lose both of them! She had made a promise! "Kili!" She exclaimed, the teal glow of Hathelas springing to life in the dark halls of the tower as she ripped through an Orc that flew at her, adrenaline and fury guiding her fluid movements as she cut down the Orcs that got in her way, the vain prayer that she could save the younger prince before he died as well adding to her drive.<p>

A female snarl sounded from behind before the Orc that attempted to kill her was cut down swiftly, and Eäriel sharply turned to see the familiar red mane of Tauriel. "_Mellon!_" She said in relief, and both females shared a nod before they rushed up the next set of stairs. "Your bow, where is it?" She asked even as she ripped through a skinnier Orc, recognizing her friend didn't wield her own bow.

Tauriel ducked and stabbed her knife's blade into the sternum of another Orc, a grimace on her face as she yanked her blade free. "Long story short, Legolas and I came to stop the fresh army of Orcs that came from Gundabad… I fear we came too late, though!" She knocked the footing of one Orc that had rushed her from the next stairwell's landing, the knife in her left hand stabbing fiercely into the skull of the tripped beast. Panting slightly, she perked up as another Orc snarled and made to kill her when a teal blade stabbed viciously into its belly from behind, the blade protruding from the beast's back to front.

Eäriel watched her friend sidestep the felled Orc as she yanked her sword out, huffing as she earned a nod of thanks from the redhead elleth. "There may be time yet. Here," she pulled her less-used long knife from its place at her belt and handed it to her friend. "It's not your bow, but it's better than a dagger. Come!" She smiled briefly in sympathy towards the loss of Tauriel's bow, turning to lead the way onto the next floor… Only for a tall grayish Orc to swing his crude black mace at where she had stood before she swerved to the right.

"Kili!" Tauriel called even as she aided the brunette, recognizing the gruesome-faced beast to be the Bolg that Legolas had mentioned previously, ducking as the Gundabad filth aimed a foot at her, most of his attention drawn to the brunette he had almost killed, the borrowed long knife in hand as she charged.

"Tauriel!" A familiar voice called back from a higher floor of the tower, earning a relieved look to pass over both females' faces.

"Kili!" Eäriel exclaimed, perking up as Tauriel had now gained Bolg's attention, her eyes sharpening as the Orc feinted her sharp lunge and swung his mace at the elleth's left, connecting with her ribs as his blow sent her flying to the edge of the landing. "Tauriel!" She barked, growling as Bolg neared the She-Elf and launching herself at him from behind, her long knife jamming itself into his ribs as she stabbed fiercely.

Bolg gave a curse in Black Speech before reaching vainly for the pesky brunette She-Elf, large hand knotting in her mane of hair as he yanked her off and tossed her away so she hit the side wall with a pained cry, limply sinking to the stone floor in a heap.

The Wanderer grimaced as she could swear her skull had cracked from the hard hit she'd taken, her head spinning dizzily and she momentarily feared to get back up, blearily seeing the tall Orc approaching her with his weapon drawn.

A battle cry sounded from above before a head of dark hair dropped onto the Orc, diverting his attention as he stumbled to the right, surprising both females, snarling as he yanked the smaller warrior off his shoulders and tossed him away.

Kili bared his sword defensively as he had bounced off to land infront of Eäriel, anger screaming in his eyes, watching Bolg grip his own weapon in hand with a tight glare.

"Kili, no… Don't do it!" Eäriel grunted as she managed to sit up a bit and rub her head to see a smidge of blood on her fingers, perking up as Kili launched himself at the Gundabad Orc. "**KILI**!" She cried.

Tauriel struggled to support her upper torso by her hands planted on the stone beneath her, looking up past locks of red that had gotten in her view and watching with growing dread as Bolg punted Kili off him for the second time, knocking him down before fastening a large hand in his tunic scruff. "No!" She exclaimed.

Eäriel felt the hot tears that had gathered when Fili had died before her eyes burn with a vengeance at the bottoms of her eyes that watched the sharp end of the crude mace stab itself into the prince's chest. Anger suddenly became like a wild flame inside her chest as she found the strength to get back up, her sword finding itself back in her hand's grip as a lone tear fell down her cheek, her teeth bared.

A loud snarl of anger came from the side wall before Bolg was rammed into by a streak of brown and green, sparks flying when he brought up his mace to block the teal blade of Elvish make, a snarl of anger on his face as he glowered through his good eye at the enraged She-Elf that had charged recklessly, vengeance screaming in her eyes as she forced him back.

Tauriel gingerly got to her feet as Eäriel had Bolg distracted, looking at the dying prince with a cringe of grief and a flaring hatred for the filthy Orc that had slain him, determination settling on her pretty face as she gripped the handle of the brunette's long knife tight.

Bolg rammed a foot into the Wanderer's belly and sharply kicked her away just as Tauriel flew at him from behind, boot heels digging into his shoulders as she made to stab into his skull with the long knife, clinging to the beast as he tried to shake her off, but she held fast.

Eäriel rubbed her head gingerly and looked at the dead Kili and shuddered at her loss, gingerly closing his partially opened brown eyes with her fingers and whispering a soft prayer of lament, hearing a cry come from where Tauriel was and she widened her eyes as Bolg was busy trying to throw her off his back, not seeing the edge. "**Tauriel**!" She shouted as both Orc and She-Elf fell over the edge; gripping her sword, she scrambled to her feet and rushed to the edge, skidding to a halt when catching sight of Bolg as he was coming to, eyes frantically searching for the redhead.

"Tauriel!" A familiar voice called as her blue eyes spotted the head of blonde hair that was steering a stabbed troll to the stone tower on the other side of the ravine, and she looked down in surprise as Bolg was nearing the seemingly-unconscious redheaded Elf… "Legolas, hurry!" Eäriel shouted, perking up when the troll he was steering crashed its head into the tower, making the mountainside tremble as the tower was now a bridge that connected one end of the ravine to the other. She loaded an arrow into her bow and fired down at Bolg's shoulder, landing a hit as the Orc snarled in annoyance before his attention was drawn to the blonde Elf that glared at him on the unoccupied end of the bridge.

"Legolas!" She declared, beginning to drop down and make her way to help him when seeing Bolg charge her friend. "No!" She barked.

"I can handle it, Eäriel; find Oakenshield!" He called as he had briefly spotted her beginning descent to the redhead's aid, his knives on hand as he charged the Gundabad spawn. "**Go**!"

"Legolas…" She murmured, brow furrowing before she nodded curtly, obeying the prince's orders before her form changed and took the shape of a raven, wings flapping as she flew to give aid to her king.

* * *

><p>Azog the Defiler roared in effort as he attempted to break the feet of the Dwarf-king with the chunk of stone he wielded that was attached to a thick chain in his hand, instead leaving a large crack in the ice's surface as his shorter opponent dodged in time. He readied to throw it again when an arrow's pointed tip pierced his right shoulder; snarling in anger, the Gundabad Orc turned in the direction of the arrow's point of origin, beady blue eyes zeroing in on the She-Elf that had come to give aid to the Dwarf she loved so.<p>

"Your disgusting kindred have killed enough of my friends today; get away from my king!" Eäriel the Wanderer snarled fiercely, Hathelas held fast in her hand's grip as she glared at the white Orc with a deeper amount of loathing and vengeance in her frigid blue eyes.

"Eäriel!" Thorin said in surprise, looking at her and even as he saw her standing on the bank with her Elvish sword brandished, his heart sank into the river beneath the frigid ice as he recognized he had now lost both of his nephews… "You will not step in, this is my battle!" He ordered sharply, his words betraying the smaller part of him that had wished for her to fight at his side yet they affirmed his vain prayer that she would not risk her life for his again.

Losing Fili and Kili was hard, but now that he found someone to love, to one day live with him in the kingdom of Erebor, that understood and loved him enough to die with him, he knew it would be harder. Thorin couldn't lose Eäriel as well… Not while he could prevent it!

"Look out!" Her voice yanked him from his thoughts just as he snapped to and narrowly swerved out of the way of Azog's sharp swing of the stone in his hand, regaining his balance and gripping Orcrist fast.

Thorin snarled as he snatched at the brief opening his enemy had given, aiming to stab at Azog's ribs when the Orc blocked him sharply with his jagged blade attached to the stump of his left arm, shoving him back only to swing again, missing when the Dwarf ducked in time.

Azog missed a second time only to let the Dwarf attack again, left leg swinging to connect with his gut and punt him away as he skidded on the cold icy surface; he advanced on the Dwarf-king only to be thrown back by a head of brown hair. The white Orc snarled in anger as he drew back a foot only to dodge as the elleth lunged at his chest, jagged teeth bared in frustration and anger with the She-Elf as she dodged and wove out of his blows, parrying with the skills of her kind shown in each gesture and fluid swing of her Elvish sword.

Eäriel skirted out of the way of the swinging stone, flying forward only to twist on her heel and ram her right foot into Azog's chest, shoving him away as she went for the stone-wielding arm.

Thorin perked up and looked at the warring Orc and She-Elf in shock as Azog gave a roar of pain when the teal-glowing blade of Hathelas cut off his hand, his good hand, black blood spurting from the severed hand and wrist. His stormy blue eyes widened as Azog turned on the She-Elf sporting a triumphant smile and swung his blade-wielding arm at her face, aiming to sever her head. "**NO**!" He yelled as Eäriel was thrown back with a brief yelp of pain, landing on the river bank on her back. "**Eäriel**!" He flew at Azog, throwing him away from his She-Elf and diverting his attention to him once again.

Eäriel winced at the burning sting felt from the fresh cut to her left cheekbone, sitting up from having been thrown aside and perking up as she heard the clashing of blades, recognizing the head of black hair attacking and parrying with the Gundabad Orc. "**Thorin**!" She cried, straightening quickly to her feet.

Inwardly sighing in relief that she was safe, Thorin momentarily looked in her direction even as Azog drove him back, "Stay where you are!" He ordered, growling and parrying the sharp swing from his enemy's blade, being driven closer to where the swinging stone had broken a small slab of ice as the cracks were barely connecting with the others… It was risky, but it was either lead him to a death of drowning or be killed only for him to then kill the She-Elf.

And Thorin was not risking that, not even with his very last breath.

Eäriel watched his footing with sharp eyes, recognizing what he meant to do to the Orc, and even as she watched the battle between Dwarf and Orc, she knew Azog was beyond angered. She did not need to read his mind or even consider it, for she could tell what he wanted so very much to do.

Kill the Dwarf-king and then get his vengeance on the She-Elf that had cut off his hand.

Sheathing her sword even as she imagined it wished to spill more Orc blood as she so very much wanted to do, the Wanderer drew her bow and readied an arrow. She perked up alertly as the slab of ice gave a mighty groan as Thorin had lured Azog onto the less-steadier part, watching the white Orc be swept beneath the ice with the river's current. He'd done it… Oh how she wished it was that simple!

"Thorin…" Her voice pulled him from looking in the direction his supposedly felled foe went, and his stormy blue eyes zipped to the bank as she had lowered her bow with an arrow notched in place, concern and wariness in her own blue stare.

"Stay where you are." He ordered again, his sharp tone slowly turning distant as he kept his eyes trained on the white Orc beneath the ice, heavier feet inching after him.

She felt the wariness in her eyes tighten her gaze as she watched him, perking up sharply when Azog then burst out from the ice beneath the Dwarf's footing to stab his blade into his foot, pinning him. "No!" She shouted, firing her arrow just as Thorin was stabbed with the blade as it punctured his right lung. To her amazement, the Dwarf gave a vain snarl as he rolled him so the Orc was on the ice, and he rammed Orcrist's blade deeply into Azog's sternum as his She-Elf's arrow had pierced his neck from the side, the arrowhead embedded in his white flesh, shocking the dying Azog even as his curved blade dug deeper until it pierced through the Orc's chest to the ice beneath.

Both Dwarf and Elf were slightly breathless from the surge of adrenaline that had projected from the scene on the frozen river. The latter distantly heard the flapping of wings in the air, looking to the valley below the falls in further amazement as the eagles that had aided them weeks ago to the safety of Carrock were diving down on the remainder of the Gundabad legions, giving shrill shrieks and chirping in disgust as they slew the Orcs that still stood. "The eagles…" She whispered, quickly looking at her comrade as he had also been watching, and her eyes widened as he stumbled, his feet beginning to give way beneath his stout form. "Thorin!" She rushed to his side.

Thorin felt the grief and elation that the battle was won overcome him, sending him to the icy river surface beneath his now-weakened legs; he would've fallen face-first into the cold surface had a familiar pair of slender arms not caught him. He gave a shaky and heavy groan even as he gripped the leather of her coat sleeve, feeling her slender fingers curl in his hair as she embraced him, gently setting him on his back with his head in her lap, his blue eyes looking up at the cloudy sky above before landing and locking on her lovely face framed by her brown hair, her usually fierce blue eyes softened in elation and another emotion he immediately recognized to be grief. He glanced briefly at the smudged crimson stain on her left cheek where a thin cut had marred her skin, lifting his eyes to hers again. "You're alright." He didn't ask, for the relief that she remained whole and safe was too great for him to doubt.

Eäriel nodded, brushing some of his hair back and being mindful of the nasty cut on his brow that would leave a scar later on. "For the most part… I couldn't save them, Thorin… I couldn't save either of them. I failed in my promise." She swallowed the lump forming in her throat, knowing by his injury that she couldn't heal with her rubbish skills that he would soon join his nephews… And she hated herself for it.

His rugged face gave a twitch of pain from his critical wound as well as the congregating tears beginning to become visible in her paler blue gaze, and he reflexively grasped her hand in his. "You did not fail… not Fili and Kili… and not me. You helped give us back our home, you sacrificed so much to give aid to us… you have fulfilled your promise, Eäriel." He stated stubbornly, squeezing her slender hand in his grip, a smile slowly forming as she squeezed his hand tight.

"Thorin…" She murmured, failing to hide a sniff, even as she could see the injury begin to take more of a toll on him. "I wish I could heal your wounds, watch you wear your crown proudly as I once hoped to see when this was over... I don't want to lose you, _Melethron_." She croaked the last word, and even as he didn't fully understand Sindarin, she at least hoped and believed he knew what she had called him.

His eyes sombered and softened at the same time, having an inkling that while she had often called him her dear friend before, this word seemed to mean something beyond the word 'friend'… Hearing her say this now only made the pain of his main injury and lesser ones ache sharply. "You love me… as much as I do you. I would see you smile again, and laugh, be happy as you were in better days… Yet even as I will go to my fathers, I only wish for you to find happiness once more, as you found with a Company of obstinate and stubborn Dwarves. I wish not for your tears, as I have been the cause of them as of late." He flinched again, even if it was small, as the tears began to descend and crawl their way from the corners of her beautiful eyes.

Her lower lip trembled again and she closed her eyes with a weak sniffle, her fingers that had stroked his right cheek curling in his hair. "I will see you again, and I will be glad for it… As I am glad to have known you this long, Thorin son of Thráin." She promised hoarsely, giving him a smile that while it was weak, she mustered as much happiness as she could find after the losses she had taken, if only to appease him one last time.

Thorin smiled back, a true smile she had seen but a few times in her years with him, earning a soft and weak chuckle from his elleth.

Eäriel looked up just then when hearing a pair of feet come to a halt on the other side of the river, looking on the familiar curly haired head of Bilbo Baggins. She must've looked terrible, yet she did not care, instead speaking quietly in surprise, "Bilbo."

Bilbo looked on the scene he had intruded upon, yet when he looked at the tear-filled and puffy eyes of the She-Elf, he saw she permitted him to come forth. And he did, stepping onto the ice as his eyes fell on the dying Dwarf with his head in her lap. "Thorin." He said.

* * *

><p>The Elvenking's mind was an enigma some if not most of the time.<p>

He had been angered when the 'black sheep' elleth had escaped his prisons only weeks ago, yet when he had begun to depart from Ravenhill, he had turned to his son after giving his request and parting words, adding '_Take the Wanderer with you. She is of no use to me, yet I feel she will be of help to you in the future_.'

She was often seen as the 'black sheep' in the Woodland Realm, despite her friendship with the prince, as her tenacity and confidence were seen as a hindrance to the sombered tranquility of the Woodland Elves, yet in battle she proved worthy as one of the fiercest warriors under Lord Thranduil.

Even as he pondered this, Legolas Greenleaf was still puzzled on his father's parting words.

He had not bothered to say his goodbye to Tauriel, for she was left grief-stricken and in his father's care, so he needn't have worried for her; the silence that came after a hard-won battle still settled around him, almost as a thin layer of fog that billowed around his ankles as he looked for his friend.

Locating the thin river that dropped into the valley below by way of a waterfall that had created a break in the rocky terrain of Ravenhill, his keen blue eyes found her head of brown hair sitting on the bank of the river on the other side where the first tower stood, cradling a dead Dwarf in her arms.

A wave of bitterness passed through him as he recognized the dead Son of Durin, the one she had sacrificed everything for out of a sense of loyalty and hope he had seemed to instill in her… Thorin son of Thráin was dead, and he had left his beloved behind. Heartbroken and grieving.

Legolas felt a sense of anger towards the dead Dwarf-king, vainly wishing he had lived only so he could kill him with his own hands for hurting his grieving friend. He glanced at the Halfling sitting near the She-Elf, head tilted down as he also grieved the loss of their king; he recognized the other Dwarves that had survived the battle would soon come to collect the dead Dwarf-king and Hobbit, giving a silent exhale as he rested his eyes on the brunette elleth once more. "Eäriel." He declared, seeing her head shoot up alertly at hearing his voice.

Eäriel sniffed and looked to the other side of the river when hearing her friend's voice, meeting his blue eyes that were as piercing as hers. "Legolas!" She said softly in some measure of relief and surprise, bitter that he had survived as she had, even when Thorin hadn't.

"Come on, we should leave." Let the Dwarves bury their own, he nodded his chin in the direction he had come, earning a surprised look from the Hobbit.

"Eäriel…" Bilbo looked at the elleth as she hesitated to join her fellow Elf, watching her glance at the tower behind him where she knew the others would come through.

She smiled wryly and nodded to her friend, looking down at the passed King Under the Mountain, gingerly straightening from having sat next to him. "I will see you again, _Melethron_." She whispered with a soft smile to her king as he looked to be sleeping peacefully, looking at the confused look on Bilbo's face and her heart ached at recognizing she probably would not see him again.

… No, she would see him again. She would make sure of that.

"Say goodbye to the boys for me… We will meet again one day, Master Baggins." Eäriel said with a small smile, turning to cross the river and join her friend on the opposite side.

Legolas didn't look back as they left Ravenhill in silence, his companion keeping up easily even as he had wondered if she had only sustained the cut to her cheek as it was the only visible injury she had. He did not need to see through her to know she was heartbroken, yet the part of him that cared about her prayed to the Eldar that she would not let it destroy her… He had lost too many comrades and kinsmen today, he did not want to lose his headstrong friend as well.

"I am not going back to the Woodland Realm, not to be put in chains again."

"You have suffered enough to not be thrown into a cell… I was given a request by my father, and he insisted I bring you with me."

"…What would Lord Stuffiness request that you be ordered to take me along for the journey?"

"Isildur's Heir: he requested that I find him, the son of Arathorn… He supposedly will be greater than his father was."

"Gondor's rightful king… Doesn't sound too stressful. I could use a break."

"… You consider a search mission a 'break'?"

"Sod off."

* * *

><p><em>* i'm not gonna lie, i was in tears as i wrote Thorin's death speech, and i am glad i finished this story because i've got a few things in store for the sequel, the Battle of Evermore, WHICH <span>WILL<span> BE REWRITTEN/ **BATTLE OF EVERMORE WILL BE REWRITTEN**_

_* i'm not sure if i used the correct term for "**lover**" in Sindarin, so if i'm wrong, someone please correct me!_

_* thanks for the favs/ follows and views, people! i can't thank you enough for the support as i tackled this monster and finished it. so in short; the Battle of Evermore is being rewritten as we speak, and the prologue should be out by tonight, after i post this chapter. i will leave an A/N in the next chap to help you guys~ (:_


	17. AUTHOR'S NOTE - SEQUEL (INFO)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

Sequel to MMO'erMe/ Continuation of where Ch. 15 Let Off

Summary: '**You poor Wandering soul, you have grieved so deeply for your beloved these past years... Yet you have courage still, a willing heart that while it is broken, it beats for those you still hold dear on this earth. For that, you are favored even now, Eäriel the Wanderer**.'

Rating: **T** (for fantasy violence)

Genre: **Adventure/ Drama**

Character(s): **Aragorn, Legolas, OC**


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